La Crosse schools names superintendent to replace retiring Randy Nelson

Randy Nelson recently told WIZM that he started with Act 10 and ended with COVID-19 and had many chapters in between.  

On June 30, Nelson will be retiring as the superintendent for the School District of La Crosse, after almost 40 years in education.  

Monday, the district named his replacement: Dr. Aaron Engel.

Engel was most recently the superintendent at the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau School District. Before that, he was both the middle and high school principal in Auburndale.

Engel got his Ph.D. and bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He’s also currently serving as an Officer in the Medical Service Corps of the Wisconsin Army National Guard.

Engel was at the school board meeting Monday night and joked about the circumstances he’ll be taking over in.

“I’m incredibly excited by this opportunity and I can’t wait to get started,” Engel said. “Hopefully Randy can take care of all of this before July 1st and I can walk in like nothing ever happened.”

“Although it is the board who makes the final selection, our search was guided by an unprecedented level of community input,” La Crosse Board of Education President Laurie Cooper-Stoll said in a press release. “This input helped shape the leadership profile that served as the board’s guide. The level of community involvement in this process is something to be very proud of.”