Belleville Welcomes Schmitt to the Plate as its New District Administrator
It was a busy start to July in Belleville as James “Jim” Schmitt stepped up to the plate as the new District Administrator for the School District of Belleville. As baseball and softball stands are filled with laughter, and parents cheer on their kids to hit that “home run” for their team, Jim eagerly assumed his duties July 1st and began meeting with staff to prepare for the 2024-25 school year ahead. With a 34-year career in education, formerly in the Eau Claire Area School District, Schmitt brings experience, excitement and energy to his new role in Belleville. With that said, Jim’s dedication to excellence means he is taking his time this summer to pause, take it all in and acclimate his work to the needs of the Belleville community. In other words, he is studying the strengths and needs of his home team and preparing for the season ahead.
As the former Principal of Flynn Elementary School and the Eau Claire Virtual School as well as the Executive Director of Teaching & Learning (2015-2022), Schmitt knows the importance of working as a team with his building principals, curriculum specialists, educators, students, families and community partners. July has given Jim the opportunity to spend his time meeting with key members of Belleville’s community, his administrative team and his department directors; while, also getting to know the custodial staff as they do all of the behind-the scenes work to make Belleville’s facilities the best they can be for incoming students this fall following the activities and learning that occurred in the school buildings during summer school. Belleville’s learning spaces are busy year-round and so July has provided a special time for Schmitt to get to know his team and to prepare all that is needed to hit home runs across the board for PreK-12th grade education beginning this fall.
Change can be a beautiful thing for schools to be their best – providing new insights, experience and ideas for education to remain cutting-edge. Strong leadership and a team-mindset also play key roles in maintaining a winning streak for success. Though Schmitt is new in his role for the School District of Belleville as the District Administrator, south central Wisconsin is not new to Schmitt. The Belleville area has remained in his heart all of these years and it is a wonderful change for Schmitt to come full circle, move home and now be a leader close to where he grew up.
Schmitt graduated from Verona High School back when it was closer to the environment he sees in Belleville - a small rural Wisconsin school that cares about excellence for its students. Schmitt came into his new role ready to play ball with the amazing innovative learning opportunities and STEAM curriculum Belleville provides and is in a good position to lead his team in continued excellence – drawing upon his BS degree in Chemistry (UW-Madison) and MA from UW-River Falls. Holding lifetime licenses in Chemistry, Mathematics, Physical Science and Physics, Jim is excited to serve the students and families of Belleville and help prepare its students for career and college plans beyond a BHS degree. Belleville is an “exceeds expectations” school district and after a few weeks of rolling up his sleeves, listening to his team members and getting to work, Mr. Schmitt can see why!
Schmitt notes, “It was a joy to start my position while summer school was still active, and I can only imagine that the school year will bring even more excitement. What I have observed in a short amount of time is that the Belleville community fully supports its schools. Organizations throughout the village embrace the schools with great pride. The collaborative relationships among stakeholders are evident across the district and in the community. It is heartwarming to experience the incredible energy and commitment that exists here.”
Mr. Schmitt has worked his entire 34-year career in education – serving as a teacher, district-level director, and principal. Belleville’s schools are excited to welcome him to their home plate to serve their learning community and continue to help their educators and students be the best they can be. Coming home to serve Belleville and thinking of how the schools can provide the foundation for the community as a whole is undoubtedly a great way for Schmitt to continue his strong batting average of success in the field of education.
