Wentzville's Adams Named Missouri Superintendent of the Year

Dr. Terry Adams, superintendent of the , has been named the Missouri Superintendent of the Year by the Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA). T

he announcement of the award was made during the Missouri School Boards’ Association and MASA joint fall conference held at Tan-Tar-A Resort on Oct. 1. As the recipient of this award, Adams will represent Missouri in the National Superintendent of the Year program conducted by the American Association of School Administrators.

“It was certainly a surprise, but I’m honored and humbled to be recognized by my peers,” said Adams. “It’s really a testament to the hard work of our outstanding students and our dedicated staff. I wouldn’t be receiving this award if not for their commitment to our shared vision.”

Adams started with the Wentzville School District as superintendent of schools in 2006. Under his leadership, the district has worked diligently to meet the needs of long-time residents as well as the large number of newcomers to the area.

Over the past decade, the Wentzville School District has been the in the state of Missouri, and enrollment has more than doubled to over 13,000 students. The district has received high marks for continually engaging its stakeholders in school improvement efforts.

As a result of community feedback, the district has built new schools and added on to existing schools, implemented free full-day kindergarten, increased the use of technology throughout the district, improved school security, and increased rigor to provide a top quality educational experience for its students.

As a result, the district has received the from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in each of the past six years, coinciding with Adam’s tenure.

In recommending Adams for this award, Rolla School District Superintendent Aaron Zalis described Adams as a visionary leader.

“He has helped many school districts throughout his career improve student performance, build financial stability, improve district facilities and improve personnel performance. He has accomplished this in districts of varying size which speaks to the transformational growth that has occurred with his own leadership,” Zalis said.

Dr. Adams has been a superintendent for 25 years, and has previously served as superintendent of schools for the Rolla Public School District, the Central R-III School District and the Arcadia Valley R-II School District.