Snodgrass Named 2023 Missouri Superintendent of the Year
Launch the media gallery 1 playerThe Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA) has announced the selection of Dr. Jason Snodgrass, Superintendent of Fort Osage R-I School District, as the 2023 Missouri Superintendent of the Year. Dr. Snodgrass was honored during the MSBA/MASA Annual Fall Conference held November 5, 2023 at the Kansas City Convention Center, Kansas City, Missouri.
Dr. Snodgrass stated, “It is an honor to be named the MASA Superintendent of the Year. My hope is that the employees and families of the Fort Osage School District understand that this recognition is truly a reflection of all of the good work taking place in our classrooms. As a district, we have five core values: Integrity, Belonging, Collaboration, Achievement and Accountability. It is up to all of us to assure those values are being met, and as the superintendent, I need to make sure we stay focused to meet the needs of our young people.”
MASA Executive Director, Doug Hayter, stated, "Jason Snodgrass is not only an outstanding leader for the Fort Osage School District, but he is also known as a trusted colleague in the Greater Kansas City area. Jason has always seen himself as a teacher and coach first, and in those roles he placed the highest value on the personal growth of each student with whom he worked. He has taken that same philosophy into his current
role as the leader of his district.”
Dr. Snodgrass is in his seventh year as Superintendent of Fort Osage R-I Public Schools. Previously, Dr. Snodgrass served the Fort Osage Schools as the high school principal. He served as the secondary school principal at Polo R-VII School District (2003-2009) and in a similar position at Marceline R-V School District (2002-2003).
When writing about his district, Dr. Snodgrass noted the Fort Osage School schools serve a diverse community of approximately 5,000 students, including over half who qualify for free or reduced price lunches. While the District as a whole is considered suburban, it includes a large low-income housing area that brings in many families from more urban backgrounds, as well as thousands of acres of rural property and the farming and small-town families who reside there. Fort Osage is known as a very close-knit community and many of the parents and business owners in the District attended school here themselves. Their loyalty to the District is a tremendous asset, and their support helps the district remain competitive with larger and more affluent surrounding districts.
Communications is central to Dr. Snodgrass’s leadership approach. Internal communications is a vital tenet for the district. Dr. Snodgrass understands he and his central office staff must regularly engage their 800 staff members because “they are the daily connection between the District and their families, community and region.” Beyond internal communications, Snodgrass and his team maintain important communications with the community both through printed publications and online connections; but more importantly, through personal interaction with such entities as the City of Independence, the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council.
As Dr. Snodgrass shared in his application, nothing is more important than preparing young people for success as they move to the next stages of their lives. The father of five children, Dr. Snodgrass understands that his district is made up of families from all walks of life, and the needs of one child may greatly differ from another child. A program Dr. Snodgrass saw as beneficial to all students is the Kansas City Area’s Real World Learning (RWL) initiative. Fort Osage has served as a leader in this regional initiative designed to promote K-12 college and career readiness training, and to provide high school students with opportunities to earn Market Value Assets (MVAs) by participating in courses and projects that will prepare them for success beyond high school. These MVAs include college credit courses, career programs leading to a marketable credential, workplace internships, and opportunities to partner with community organizations to complete meaningful projects. The Fort Osage schools have taken a very comprehensive approach to this effort, and as a result have increased the percent of students graduating with at least one MVA from 29% in 2020 to 75% in 2022. By continuing to increase the number and types of real world opportunities available to students, the District plans to achieve 100% of students earning MVAs prior to the regional goal of 2030.
The Missouri Association of School Administrators is pleased to honor Dr. Snodgrass as the 2023 Missouri Superintendent of the Year.
Dr. Snodgrass will be recognized during the American Association of School Administrators National Conference on Education in February 2023 for his state selection.
About MASA
The Missouri Association of School Administrators is the statewide association of public school superintendents and central office administrators. MASA develops and supports effective public school leaders who positively impact the lives of Missouri students.