Lyscio to fill Brainerd post

Staples-Motley High School Principal Todd Lyscio is returning to the Brainerd School District.

Lyscio accepted a job to replace Lance Hanfler's at Mississippi Horizons. Lyscio will be Mississippi Horizons dean of students and the Brainerd junior high activities director effective July 3. He will earn $54,000 a year.

The Brainerd School Board approved the hiring Monday.

Brainerd Assistant Superintendent Gary Phillips said in a separate interview that Lyscio was chosen for the position because of his strong ability to work with people, knowledge of the Brainerd School District and his three years of experience as the principal at Staples.

Lyscio was Franklin Junior High's eighth-grade counselor and health teacher for 16 years before he took the principal position with Staples in 2000.

Lyscio was one of three finalists for the position out of a field of 40 candidates. Phillips said the position was advertised statewide in April. He said there were three teams consisting of secondary principals, administrators and teachers who were involved in the selection process. All three teams had Lyscio as their No. 1 candidate, said Phillips.

Phillips said Lyscio would do the same duties Hanfler was responsible for that include handling discipline issues at Mississippi Horizons and overseeing the athletic department for grades six through nine.

Lyscio, 41, said in a telephone interview late Monday he is excited to be back in Brainerd. He has lived in Brainerd his whole life and stayed at his home in Brainerd after taking the position in Staples.

"It took some real soul searching," said Lyscio of making the decision to leave Staples.

His last day will be June 30 in Staples. Lyscio said he will help with the transition of the new principal.

Come July, Lyscio said the newest part of his position in Brainerd will be the activities director. As principal, he has experience with dealing with student discipline. In fact, he said he would like to explore a behavior intervention program in Brainerd that Staples has utilized and been successful at. He said the two-hour program is intense and works with students on decision making, consequences and how to make amends.