The Crane Elementary School District has found its next superintendent: Dale Ponder.
In a special meeting Tuesday, the governing board unanimously voted to hire Ponder effective July 1, 2026. Ponder will be replacing Superintendent Laurie Doering, who plans to retire at the end of the current school year.
"We are super excited about hiring Dale Ponder as our new superintendent. Dale has been with the district for a number of years, and he started as a young employee. We've seen so much growth in him," said Board President Brenna Paulin. "I think his strength — that everyone thinks is his greatest — is that he's worked very hard to learn the district from one end to the other. He's knowledgeable in all different areas, not just finance, which is his area, but curriculum.
"Also, I'm very proud of the fact that he is rooted in this community. His kids are in our schools here. He lives here. He has a commitment. I think that just all of those rolled into one package makes him a great superintendent choice for us."
According to the district, Ponder has spent nearly 20 years at Crane. Currently, he serves as the chief of finance and operations. Under this position, he's responsible for strategic leadership and overseeing finance, school nutrition, transportation, procurement, facilities maintenance, risk management, school safety and information technology departments.
In its release announcing the news, Crane also shared that Ponder has been a long-time advocate for Arizona public schools, noting that he served as president of the Arizona Association of School Business Officials (AASBO) in 2022 and 2023, and he provided a deposition and trial testimony on behalf of Crane in the historic Glendale Elementary School District v. State of Arizona lawsuit.
Ponder has also been the recipient of the William Lovett Memorial Award from AASBO, Administrator of the Year Award from the Yuma County Chamber of Commerce and recognition as a Leader in Learning for Crane Schools.
"I am incredibly humbled and honored that the governing board is showing this confidence in me and my ability to lead the district," he said. "Laurie has done a fantastic job as the leader of our school district and has made a huge impact to the community, and I'm blessed and fortunate that she was able and willing to invest in me and mentor me to help me be prepared for this. And so I just really appreciate the board's confidence and having me serve in that capacity."
Superintendent Doering also echoed the board's support.
“Dale Ponder is the kind of leader who elevates everyone around him,” she said. “Dale’s vision is bold, his heart is authentic, and his commitment to doing what is right is unwavering. I look forward to the new heights our district will reach under his leadership.”
When he assumes the role, Ponder shared that he's most looking forward to learning and moving the district forward.
"I think really it's the sustainability of what we're doing. I want to make sure that we're continuously growing in the classroom. I want to make sure that our staff members have the support that they need and at the same time, that students are able to meet their academic potential. And so I'm excited about that.
"I'm a lifelong learner, and so that's an area where I need to learn more about and I'm eager to learn more about, meeting with Superintendent Doering, Assistant Superintendent Hoffman, our director of curriculum, our principals, and really understanding the education piece a little bit more. That's been incredibly rewarding, too."
By further learning, Ponder hopes to figure out how to take the lessons learned and apply them in the classrooms in order to have greater success moving forward.
This reporting is supported by a grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation.
