By Conrad Dudderar
Staff Writer
With school starting next Thursday, Yukon Public Schools this week announced the district’s newest head principal.
Randy Stowe was named to lead Shedeck Elementary School into the 2023-24 school year.
“Shedeck has a really great community and a really great staff,” said Stowe, who has spent the past three years as assistant principal at Redstone Intermediate School.
“I just hope to continue that growth the Shedeck has seen, continue to make improvements and support those students and families.”
Stowe’s promotion was announced at the end of the Aug. 7th YPS Board of Education meeting. The transition from intermediate to elementary has been smooth so far.
“I didn’t know this was coming,” Stowe said soon after the formal announcement. “This was a bit of a surprise. I’ve had a huge support staff here in Yukon, and that’s the reason I’m at this point in my career.”
“With all the administration support, I’m lucky to be here. Any questions I’ve had, they’ve been able to help me out.”
YPS Superintendent Dr. Jason Simeroth introduced Stowe as Shedeck’s new head principal, which earned thunderous applause from the audience.
Stowe succeeds Scott Hein, who was named YPS executive director of elementary education after the recent retirement of Lance Haggard.
“I am so excited for this opportunity to join the team at Shedeck Elementary this year,” Stowe said. “I’ve heard Shedeck referred to as a ‘hidden gem’ of Yukon and that description is spot on.
“In the short amount of time I’ve spent here, I can see the ‘Shedeck shine’ in everyone I’ve met, and I feel privileged to be chosen to be a part of this team.”
350 Students, 50 Staff
Shedeck’s new principal leads a school with about 50 staff members – including teachers and paraprofessionals.
Stowe taught for 10 years in Putnam City before coming to YPS as a Yukon Middle School assistant principal.
After three years, he moved to the new Redstone Intermediate – which has students in fourth through sixth grades.
At Shedeck, he will have some 350 students in pre-kindergarten through third grades as he starts his seventh year in Yukon.
“Luckily, I have a wife who teaches third grade,” Stowe noted. “So, she’ll be able to give me all those extra pointers on things that I’m doing right and wrong.”
Stowe has an undergraduate degree from Southern Nazarene University and a master’s degree from the University of Central Oklahoma.
“I really excited and really lucky to be in this position, thanks to the Yukon administration,” he concluded.
Other YPS elementary principals are Kristin Lipe, Ranchwood Elementary; Carla Smith, Skyview Elementary; Bill Pierce, Surrey Hills Elementary; Laurie Gallagher, Central Elementary; Heather Mitchell, Parkland Elementary; and Shannon Dutton, Myers Elementary.
