Deitte named Hutchinson superintendent

Minneota and Ivanhoe Public School Superintendent Dan Deitte has verbally accepted the position as superintendent of Hutchinson (MN), pending contract negotiations.
The Hutchinson School Board notified Deitte last week and offered him the position, which he accepted. He will replace retiring superintendent Daron VanderHeiden.
Deitte has been the superintendent here for the past 14 years.
The Hutchinson School Board had narrowed the choice of superintendent to Deitte and Chris Swenson, who is currently the superintendent of Holdingford Public Schools.
The Hutchinson School Board wanted the public to be involved in the hiring of the new superintendent.They held an open forum where they could ask the two finalists questions. Deitte was hosted on Monday and Swenson on Tuesday.
As of this printing of the Mascot, Deitte's wife, Jen Mahan-Deitte, has not resigned her position as Minneota Elementary Principal.
The Deittes drove through Hutchinson last year on their way to the Twin Cities and were impressed with the community.
"It is such a nice clean town and close to the Twin Cities, but not too close," Deitte said. "I told Jen that if the superintendent's position ever opened up there, I might apply for it."
When VanderHeidien announced his retirement recently, Deitte and several others applied. Deitte became one of five finalists that was eventually narrowed down to the two that would be made available for the open forum.
Deitte had a one-hour interview with the Hutchinson School Board on Thursday, March 24.
"They have six school buildings in Hutchinson," Deitte noted. "They have a high school, middle school, three elementary and a central office. It's very impressive."
While Minneota has 520 students in grades K-12, Hutchinson will have a total of 2,700 in its buildings.
"It will be a new challenge for me," he admitted. "But I'm excited about the opportunity."
Last Monday (March 28), Deitte spent 13 hours meeting with staff members, a select group of middle and high school students, business leaders of various organizations, and then the public at the open forum.
Two days later, the position was offered to him.
"We decided this was the right time to make a move," Deitte said. "We will be closer to two of our daughters, Jen's family, and my family, too."
Deitte grew up in Fond du Lac, WI, while his wife is from Austin, MN, with most of her family now in Eden Prairie, Edina and Stillwater. Their oldest daughter, Ivy, 24, is an RN at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester; their middle daughter, Sienna, 22, will be moving to Omaha in August; and youngest daughter, Olivia, 18, goes to school in Eau Claire, WI.
If contract negotiations are finalized and Deitte does make the move, he will leave behind a lot of fond memories.
"I will miss the kids, the staff and the people of Minneota," he said. "All three of our daughters went to school and graduated here. We wouldn't have stayed here if we didn't like it here. This move has nothing to do with Minneota. We have enjoyed our time here."
A superintendent stays in one location an average of 3.75 years.
"It’s been a good 14 years here. I will definitely miss Minneota," he concluded.