Dieterich Unit #30 School Board Hires Elementary Principal
In a special board meeting on Wednesday night, the Dieterich Unit #30 School Board named Mr. Josh Benefiel their next elementary principal. Mr. Benefiel comes to Dieterich School with a well-rounded administrative and teaching career. He started his career in Lawrenceville as a teacher and coach where he quickly learned the impact his positive demeanor could have on a child. Over the past three years, Mr. Benefiel has served as an assistant principal in the Jasper County school district, where he has continued to flourish and been given many opportunities to impact their students, grades K-12. Mr. Benefiel’s personality, demeanor and exceptional experience will continue to build Dieterich Schools as a well-respected institute of choice in this area.
The school board and administration would like to thank Kathy Pattenaude for 15 years of dedicated service as elementary principal and congratulate her on the many awards and accomplishments the school has received under her leadership.
Also, the school board and administration would like to thank the many applicants that showed interest in working for the district. Dieterich School was blessed with a deep and talented applicant pool that made this decision an especially difficult one to make.
Dieterich Unit #30 School Board and Administration look forward to working with Mr. Benefiel to fulfill the goals of the school:
- Continued high test scores and strong special education program focusing on the whole student
- Strong community and parental relationships to ensure maximum support of the success of the students
- A technology balanced curriculum that builds a solid foundation for the transition to Jr High/High School
The school board and administration are very excited to see Mr. Benefiel’s contributions to the successful future of the Dieterich School District.
A message from Mr. Josh Benefiel.
As the incoming Dieterich Elementary Principal, I am honored to become a part of Unit 30 and the community. Originally from Jasper County, I have admired the school and town’s growth and I am excited that I get the opportunity to help contribute to the continued success of Dieterich Elementary.
I come to you with over 10 years of experience as an educator and as a graduate from Eastern Illinois University. I began my career in Lawrenceville, IL as a teacher, athletic director, and coach. After 5 years, I was able to return to the area to teach and coach in Newton, IL. Over the past three years, I have gained experience in educational leadership through my position as Assistant Principal of Newton Elementary, Principal of Sainte Marie Elementary, and now in my current role as Assistant Principal of Newton Community High School/Jr. High. I am confident that the experience I gained will only benefit the school and I am looking forward to working with the students, teachers, families, and community members of Dieterich to form a shared vision and goal for the students of Dieterich Elementary.
I currently reside in Newton with my wife, Whitney, and our two children, Ava and Hudson. Whitney and I are both from small towns, so we have an appreciation of a close knit community and we are excited to become involved and get to know more people in the Dieterich community.
Mr. Josh Benefiel