Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 Board of Education announced Wednesday that Dr. Sharol Little, Dodge City, Kan., has been selected as the
district’s new Superintendent. Little will assume the position July 1, 2001, replacing Dr. Tom Hawk, Interim Superintendent.

Little stated that she is pleased to sign the contract with USD 383 and is looking forward to coming to Manhattan.

Little has been the Superintendent of Schools at Dodge City for four years. She has previously served as Winfield’s Superintendent and as
Assistant Superintendent in Hutchinson and Liberal. Born in Greeley, Col., Little received her bachelor’s, masters and education specialist’s
degree from Fort Hays State University. She received her doctorate from Kansas State University.

Little worked for Hays Public Schools from 1974 to 1987. She was a secondary teacher at Hays High School and an instructor at Fort Hays
State. She later served as Director of Communications for the district. In 1990, Little joined the Wichita State University as an assistant
professor of educational administration.

She has also served as Assistant Director of Kansas North Central Association for School Accreditation. Little has helped evaluate over 300
schools in Kansas. She is a consultant and specialist in the state Quality Performance Evaluation System.

Some of Little’s key experiences with the Board of Education include:

• Reducing budgets through a team approach

• Understanding and campaigning for a change in school finance in Kansas

• Passing bond issues to build new schools including a 6A high school, a 5/6 grade center and renovations to several buildings

• Creating partnerships with colleges and businesses to pay for land, buildings and a childcare center

• Establishing dual language schools taught in English one week and Spanish another

• Founding the first Charter School for 5th through 8th grade at-risk students

• Guest authoring over 100 articles about schools for the local newspaper

• Supporting raises for teachers and staff every year as superintendent

• Reduced the dropout rate at the high school level from 4.7 to 1.7

• Successful implementation of uniforms at the middle school level

• Serving as substitute for teachers and administrators while superintendent

• Developing award-winning crisis procedures for safety in schools

Little’s husband, Ron, is a wildlife biologist for the State Department of Wildlife and Parks. The Little’s have two sons, Rod and Ty. Rod
graduated from the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs in 1991. He is married to Janet Viztum from Hays, and is presently
working for Proctor and Gamble as a financial analyst for Pampers in Cincinnati, Ohio. His wife teaches at the University of Ohio’s education
department. The couple has two children. Ty graduated from the USAFA in 1995 majoring in mechanical engineering. He is now a captain in
the Air Force as a pilot and stationed in Korea.

The Littles enjoy golfing, visiting their family and traveling. Ron loves to hunt and fish and Sharol enjoys collecting old textbooks, designing
costumes and clothing for her granddaughters.