PW-S District doesn’t look far to find principals

The Port Washington-Saukville School Board on Monday hired two experienced administrators who are no strangers to Port to help lead its schools.

Jill Schwenzen, principal of Woodview Elementary School in Grafton and a Port Washington resident whose children attend schools in the district, will become assistant principal at Thomas Jefferson Middle School.

Jared Kiesow, an assistant principal at West Bend East and West high schools, was hired as principal of Dunwiddie Elementary School. Supt. Michael McMahon said Kiesow is a former Port Washington resident.

“As we continue to work toward our mission of being student focused and future ready, these two leaders bring a wealth of experience and a genuine passion for students success,” McMahon said.

Schwenzen, who replaced McMahon as principal of Woodview Elementary School after he became director of instruction in the Grafton school system ahead of his move to the Port-Saukville School District, will succeed Jodi Swagel at the middle school.

Swagel, who is retiring, will serve as summer school principal this year and continue to work through mid-September to assist with the transition.

Schwenzen, a Grafton High School graduate who has a background in special education and social work, has led Woodview Elementary School since 2021. Prior to that, she served as an assistant prin

cipal at Sheboygan North High School and Bradford High School in Kenosha.

She has a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and a master’s degree in education from UW-Milwaukee.

Kiesow will replace Dunwiddie Elementary School Principal Elyse Voskuil, who will transfer to Lincoln Elementary School to succeed Jane Gennerman as principal.

Gennerman, whose 14 years as the leader of Lincoln Elementary School make her the longest-serving current principal in the district, is retiring after a 34-year career in education.

Kiesow is completing his sixth year as assistant principal at West Bend East and West high schools. A former UW-Whitewater football player and Academic All-American, he has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from UW-Milwaukee and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Cardinal Stritch University.

“Through Jared and Jill, we are bringing in exceptional new energy and expertise,” McMahon said. “At the same time, by having Elyse (Voskuil) lead Lincoln and Jodi (Swagel) assist with the transition at TJMS, we are keeping the deep institutional knowledge that makes our district special.”

The board, which met in a special session Monday to give the Grafton and West Bend school districts as much time as possible to hire replacements, approved two-year contracts for Schwenzen, who will be paid $115,000 a year, and Kiesow, who will be paid $110,000 annually, McMahon said. Both of them will start their new jobs on July 1.

The district received 61 applications for the principal position and 57 for the assistant principal job, he said.

“Many of the candidates were highly experienced,” McMahon said. “It was a very competitive field.”