Interim principal hired for coming school year at Dallas Center-Grimes Middle School

Dallas Center-Grimes Middle School will have an interim principal in the coming school year.

Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District's school board on Monday formally approved Pam Dodge to lead the middle school for the 2024-25 school year, with her first day on the job to be Wednesday, July 24.

Dodge said in a district news release, "I am passionate about creating educational opportunities for every student I serve. This mindset is shared by everyone at DCG."

The middle school's former principal, Jerry Hlas, resigned effective June 30. District spokesperson AJ Ellingson told the Des Moines Register that Hlas left to pursue other opportunities after having been with the district for 15 years and principal at the middle school for 12 years.

Dodge has a four-decade career in education, according to the district's release. She most recently was the superintendent of the Ogden Community School District.

Dodge led the Ogden district until she retired in July 2023, according to the Ogden Reporter.

Her career has included being executive director of special programs and an elementary school principal in Ankeny, an elementary principal in North Polk and an elementary teacher in Boxholm, according to Dallas Center-Grimes' release.

Scott Blum, Dallas Center-Grimes' superintendent, said in the release, "She has a servant’s heart with a proven record of academic excellence. I’m so excited to see Dr. Dodge walk alongside our educators at DCG Middle School during the 2024-25 school year."

Dodge received her undergraduate, master's and doctoral degrees from Iowa State University.

Ellingson said the district would do a search for someone to be hired as the permanent middle school principal.

Phillip Sitter covers the western suburbs for the Des Moines Register. Phillip can be reached via email at psitter@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @pslifeisabeauty.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Interim principal hired for coming school year at Dallas Center-Grimes Middle School