Aiddy Phomvisay named superintendent by ELC School Board 

The Estherville Lincoln Central School Board hired Aiddy Phomvisay as the new district superintendent. Phomvisay is currently Fairfield High School's principal and was named Secondary Principal of the Year by the School Administrators of Iowa a decade ago. 

Phomvisay begins his duties in Estherville on July 1. In the interim, local residents can practice the pronunciation of his name: Ah-dee Poem-vee-sigh. 

Phomvisay was selected among three finalists that were interviewed Tuesday by two groups consisting of students, parents, teachers, staff, and community members. School board members were impressed with Phomvisay's homework on the condition of the district and his ideas for the future. 

The school board then held two closed sessions: one to formally interview the candidates and a second to evaluate the candidates based on those interviews. 

Phomvisay told the Estherville News he was excited to get started at work and in the Estherville area. 

“I'm thrilled and grateful to the board and community members I spoke with,” Phomvisay said. 

The Estherville area was attractive to Phomvisay because of its opportunities and the positive things happening in the ELC district. 

“The entire community is obviously so devoted to the school. While there are certainly areas for growth, Superintendent Tara Paul and the board have done a fine job,” Phomvisay said. 

Areas of growth from Phomvisay's view include addressing the fiscal stability and creating additional opportunities for business and community partnerships with the district.   

Phomvisay was born in Laos and came to the U.S as a refugee at age seven, supported by churches in Alta. Support for refugees at the time came from a request by then-Iowa governor Robert D. Ray that churches and communities work together to support incoming southeast Asian refugees. Phomvisay and his siblings entered school in Alta upon arrival from a refugee camp in Thailand, and prior to the time of formal English Language Learner programs. Teachers and volunteers worked with the children to help them learn English quickly. Inspired by the teachers, Phomvisay attended Iowa State University on his road to becoming a school teacher and administrator. He married his high school sweetheart, Mindy Radtke, a music teacher and church music director. The couple has three children, Elijah and Emma who are adults, and Ethan, who will be a fourth grader at Demoney next year. 

Phomvisay said his daughter, Emma, in particular, is an accomplished vocalist who, with Mindy, looks forward to getting involved with music and theater opportunities. 

The Estherville News will have additional information on Estherville Lincoln Central's superintendent transition in upcoming issues.