Lisa Scott
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (June 29/05) - The shuffle of leadership at Yellowknife Education District No. 1 will soon be over with the school board's announcement of its new superintendent.

The new superintendent of Yk No. 1 comes from the St. Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic School Division in Alberta. Metro Huculak takes over from interim superintendent Ken Dropko August 1.

Metro Huculak of Edmonton will take over as district CEO August 1 for a three-year term, news that has trustees excited about a "change in direction" for the district.

"He's very dynamic, he has a lot of good ideas and a lot of positive energy. The board was really impressed with that," says chairperson Reanna Erasmus.

"We're looking for a new direction and we're hoping that between the board and Metro, we'll find that direction," she says.

Those changes include working with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment on its facilities plan to determine the allocation of $16 million over the next 10 years.

Erasmus wouldn't specify any other changes on the way for Yk No. 1.

Huculak comes to the district on an extended leave of absence from the St. Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic School Division in west central Alberta.

The fact that the eight-school district is Catholic didn't factor into the board's decision, according to Erasmus.

Job overlap

Huculak will overlap and work with interim superintendent Ken Dropko for a month or more.

Dropko took over from Judith Knapp in May, after Knapp's position ended two months before her contract was up.

Dropko, from the Fort Vermillion School District, didn't apply for the superintendent's position. Despite his three-month stint running Yk No. 1, he has become attached to the district.

"It's a special place and it quickly grows on you," he says.