South Umpqua School District Welcomes New Superintendent
The South Umpqua School District Board of Directors is pleased to have Erika Bare as our new superintendent.
The South Umpqua School District Board of Directors is pleased to announce and welcome Erika Bare as the new superintendent of the school district effective July 1, 2024.
According to school board chair, Jeff Johnson, “Although our finalist pool had three excellent candidates to choose from, Ms. Bare rose to the top as the clear leader to move our district forward. We are excited to welcome Erika to South Umpqua and know she will be a great fit for our school district, as well as our community.”
Erika has been a proud educator for over twenty years. She grew up in Portland, Oregon, graduating from the University of Oregon with a Master’s in Education in 2001. She began her career as a special education teacher at the middle school level. In this work, she endeavored to provide each student with the individualized supports and exceptional instruction to support them in reaching their limitless potential. This continued to inspire her when her family relocated to Southern Oregon, and she became a special education teacher on special assignment serving K-12 students in the Medford School District.
She earned her administrative credential in 2012 at Southern Oregon University and transitioned to an administrative role at Ashland High School as assistant principal and then principal. After seven joy-filled years, she followed a desire to work with our youngest students, moving to the elementary level as principal in the Medford School District, before being called to have a broader impact at the district office level as director of student services and then assistant superintendent back in the Ashland School District where she currently serves.
Erika and her husband spend their free time keeping up with their two remarkable teenagers and being entertained by the family’s very mischievous cat.
“I am so honored and humbled to be selected as the next South Umpqua Superintendent,” Bare said. “The dedication of the educators, the wonderful students, and the supportive community came through at every turn as I got to know the South Umpqua community throughout this process. I simply cannot wait to learn and lead alongside them as we work together to unlock the potential in every student.”
“I would like to thank all involved in this very important process, from our screening committee, the staff personnel involved in giving tours to our candidates, the public that came out to meet the candidates, to, finally, the board I have the pleasure of working with. It was a student-centered search and I am very proud of the work and process that took place here,” Johnson stated.
The South Umpqua School District Board of Directors is pleased to have Erika Bare as our new superintendent and looks forward to many successful years working together.
For more information, contact Jeff Johnson at 541-643-8911.