Lisa Schumacher hired at PJCC/St. Boniface

PJCC Lisa Schumacher Fr John Norman Elgin Review Elgin Nebraska Antelope County Nebraska news
Newly-hired principal/administrator for Pope John XXIII Central Catholic High and St. Boniface Elementary schools Lisa Schumacher. Photo submitted

 

BREAKING NEWS — Lisa Schumacher hired at PJCC/St. Boniface schools

A new principal with ties to the community has been hired for Pope John XXIII Central Catholic High School and St. Boniface Catholic Grade School.
Father John Norman announced Monday afternoon that Lisa Schumacher has been hired as the new principal and administrator of Pope John XXIII and St. Boniface Catholic Schools. She will fill the position which came open after Principal Betty Getzfred announced her retirement after 12 years of serving both schools. Betty began her teaching career at St. Boniface School 44 years ago in 1976. Her announcement prompted a search for a new administrator and principal.

The Process

“Our process was chaired by Fr. Kevin Vogel and strongly supported by Chris Nelson of the Archdiocese of Omaha Catholic Schools Office. We gathered input from our faculty, staff, and parents, as to what we should prioritize in our search process. We reviewed the feedback as we set our search criteria,” Father Norman said.

PJCC Fr John Norman Lisa Schumacher Elgin Review Elgin Nebraska Antelope County Nebraska news
Fr. John Norman Photo submitted

“From the applications that we received, we scheduled and conducted interviews with those we felt were the strongest candidates. Our search committee consisted of Chris Nelson, the three priests on the Pope John School Board (myself, Fr. Vogel, and Fr. Pat Nields), one member of the St. Boniface School Advisory Board, one member of the Pope John School Advisory Board, two teachers chosen by the faculty of the schools, and one member of the support staff of the schools.
“One of things that differentiates what we look for in an administrator of a Catholic School is Catholic Identity. Our school exists to be a place of formation in living our Catholic Christian faith. We were blessed to have several candidates that could express the importance of their faith and the role of faith in education.

Her Background

Mrs. Schumacher is a graduate of St. Boniface and Pope John Central Catholic Schools. (HS class of 1987). She has an undergraduate degree in elementary and middle school education with anemphasis in math and science from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. She earned her master’s degree in P-8 school administration in 2010 and received her high school administration endorsement in 2020, both from Wayne State College. Schumacher was named Archdiocese of Omaha Administrator of the Year in 2015.
Schumacher began her teaching career at St. Michael’s School in Albion in 1992. She became the school’s principal in 2008 while she finished her master’s degree. And, as she begins her 30th year in education, she will become the Pope John XXIII/St. Boniface Catholic Schools new administrator.
As a school leader Lisa Schumacher is growth oriented, collaborative, loves leading with faith, and being an example of Christ’s love for others. She feels that seeing kids grow academically and then watching them turn to God when life challenges them, makes education the best job ever. She is fully invested in supporting the Pope John/St. Boniface mission to “foster the spiritual and academic growth of students, while preparing them to live a moral, faith-filled life based on Catholic values.”

Family

Mrs. Schumacher and her husband Kevin (also a 1987 graduate of Pope John) live near
Petersburg where they are active members of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in
Petersburg. They have three children (Taylor, Kyle, and Kaitey) and one grandchild (Theo). All three children attended or are currently attending Pope John/St. Boniface Catholic Schools.
Schumacher believes that there is no better gift to give your child than the gift of a Catholic
education. She looks forward to the opportunity to share her talents/gifts with Pope John/St. Boniface Schools and to give back to the schools and community that fostered her educational goals.