Union Superintendent Travis Fleshner (right) is pictured with Union Board of Education District 4 Director Ben Schemmel (left) during a visit by Gov. Kim Reynolds to the Little Knights Learning Center in Dysart on Jan. 20. Fleshner announced this week he will be taking an offer to become the next superintendent at Aplington-Parkersburg CSD beginning July 1st. -- Telegraph File Photo

The Union Community School District will soon begin a search for its next superintendent.

On Feb. 16 the Aplington-Parkersburg Community School District announced they have reached an agreement to hire current Union Superintendent Travis Fleshner to fill their superintendent vacancy.

Fleshner will take over at A-P from interim superintendent Randy Strabala who had been serving for the past several months following the resignation of former superintendent Robert Hughes who transitioned from a shared contract with A-P and Grundy Center to a full time contract with Grundy Center.

Fleshner, a native of the North Fayette Valley area, has been an administrator with Union CSD since 2005 when he was hired as the high school principal. He was later hired and promoted to the superintendent role in 2016 to replace retiring superintendent Neil Mullen.

In a statement issued to families on Wednesday, Fleshner indicated the decision to relocate was a difficult one.

“This was not an easy decision, Union has been my family’s home for 17 years. Stacy and I could not be more thankful that Union CSD was where we raised our family. The teaching staff, support staff, all of the coaches and directors, the school board, along with the communities have been wonderful and for that we have felt very blessed. I am proud to have been a part of the Union staff and have enjoyed the many opportunities afforded me,” Fleshner said in the statement.

Throughout the past year, Fleshner has been named a finalist in multiple superintendent hiring searches including at Fort Dodge CSD in May 2021 and at Hampton-Dumont CSD in early January 2022.

The Union Board of Education is scheduled to take action on Fleshner’s formal resignation during their regular monthly meeting on Monday, Feb. 17.

The Aplington-Parkersburg District first announced Fleshner as one of four finalists on Feb. 8. He was one of two finalists with superintendent experience. The other finalist candidates included Emmetsburg Superintendent Darren Hanna, Independence 9-12 Principal John Howard and Spencer CSD Director of Student Services Pat Hamilton.

Fleshner will begin work at his new school district on July 1, 2022.