By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

The Whitewater Unified School District School Board put in a long evening’s work on Tuesday, returning from a nearly one-hour closed session at 10:39 p.m. to vote on the choice of a superintendent to succeed Caroline Pate-Hefty, who resigned effective July 1 to accept a superintendent position in Pennsylvania. In its meeting after final interviews of three candidates last Thursday, the board chose Samuel Karns and Kurt Schneider as the finalists. The motion to approve the hiring of “Sam” Karns was supported on a 6-1 vote, with Jeff Tortomasi the lone dissenter. The terms of the proposed contract were not announced, other than a term of July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2027. The job posting indicated that the base salary range was “expected to be $165,000 to $180,000 (based on experience); other benefits to be negotiated.” It is assumed that the hiring is contingent on successful negotiation and Karns’ acceptance of the offer.

Karns is the principal of Todd Elementary in the School District of Beloit, where he has served for three years. He was named the 2025 Elementary Principal of the Year by the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators and was a 2025 Herb Kohl Principal Leadership recipient.