April 22, 2023

The Lee’s Summit R-7 School District Board of Education approved the employment of a new Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education at the April 13 board meeting.

Dr. Chad Hertzog is currently the principal of Lee’s Summit West High School and will begin his tenure as Assistant Superintendent on July 1, 2023. As Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education, Hertzog will oversee the direction of LSR7’s secondary educational program.

Hertzog has worked in education for 21 years all in the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District, serving first as a math teacher at Lee’s Summit High School in 2002, then moving to Assistant Principal at Lee’s Summit High School in 2008 before taking on his current position as Principal at Lee’s Summit West in 2017.

Last year, he was named Greater Kansas City’s Principal of the Year by the Greater Kansas City Missouri Principal Association.

Hertzog earned his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Education from the University of Missouri, his Masters of Science in Education Secondary Administration from UCM and his doctorate in Educational Leadership from St. Louis University.

The Lee’s Summit R-7 School District Board of Education approved the employment of a new Director of Professional Development at the April 13 board meeting.

Kristen Merrell is currently the principal at Hazel Grove Elementary and will step into her new role on July 1, 2023. The Director of Professional Development supports LSR7 by maintaining professional development requirements while also making them relevant to current issues facing our educators.

Merrell has worked in education for 31 years all of which she served in Lee’s Summit. In addition to being principal of Hazel Grove Elementary, she taught at Pleasant Lea, Prairie View and Lee’s Summit Elementary Schools, and served as assistant principal of Great Beginnings Early Education Center. Merrell was also named Missouri State Teacher of the Year in 2012.

Merrell earned her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from UMKC, her Master of Arts in Teaching: Curriculum and Instruction from Webster University and earned a Specialist Degree in Education Administration from UCM.