Kyle Kallhoff named superintendent of Cullman City Schools

CULLMAN, Ala. – Kyle Kallhoff has been named the new superintendent of Cullman City Schools. Superintendent Dr. Susan Patterson announced back in September that she will retire July 1, 2021.

 

Kallhoff, the current superintendent of Demopolis City Schools, was appointed to the position at Cullman City Schools by unanimous board approval at a special-called meeting Thursday morning.

 

A media release from the board said Kallhoff’s exact start date and salary are set to be negotiated, and he will take over following Patterson’s retirement.

 

Kallhoff has worked as a school superintendent in Alabama for the past eight-and-a-half years. He has served in the position at Demopolis, a city school system in Marengo County in southwest Alabama, since 2015. Before that he was the inaugural superintendent of the Chickasaw City School System in Mobile County. During those two previous superintendent stops, Kallhoff helped develop strategic plans, partnered with local colleges and universities and was a member of the Transformation Leadership Academy in Alabama.

He was named Superintendent of the Year for the School Superintendents of Alabama in District 2 in 2018.

Kallhoff said he is excited to make the move and start the transition.

“Everyone is familiar with the city school system. You guys have done tremendous things over the past 5-7 years, and really 100 years of excellence. It is my pleasure to serve the community, the students, the families and the great employees,” he said. “You don’t have the school system doing as well as this school system is if you don’t have great employees and great administrators. A lot of that is due to Dr. Patterson’s work and what she has done here the past few years.”

Cullman City School Board President Chris Branham said the board is excited to have someone with Kallhoff’s experience and background take the helm of the system.

“We believe this will make for a really smooth transition,” he added.

Before becoming a superintendent, Kallhoff began his education career at Satsuma High School in 1997 as a classroom teacher. After seven years at Satsuma, he pursued a career in educational administration and went on to serve as a middle school administrator, school improvement specialist, director of instruction and assistant superintendent before moving into his two superintendent roles.

Kallhoff is married to fellow educator Kristina Kallhoff and has four children. He’s also been extensively involved with charities and volunteer agencies throughout his career, serving with business councils, chambers of commerce and as a volunteer coach for youth sports and the local Special Olympics.

“Not only is this a system you want to work in, but you want to put your children in it as well,” he said. “We feel this is a really great fit for us, so we are excited.”

Kallhoff said he hopes to be in Cullman before the end of the school year so his children can get acclimated and make new friends before the start of the 2021-2022 school year.

Cullman City Schools Attorney Taylor Brooks was tasked with conducting the superintendent search, which began Oct. 15. “The process included a two-month period for potential candidates to apply,” he said. “After the close of the application period, I provided access to the resumes of the applicants, and the board members were to individually send me their list of top candidates.”

The board received approximately 20 applications for the superintendent position, though officials said Kallhoff was the only applicant with experience as a superintendent in the state of Alabama. Brooks described all the candidates as “impressive.”