The Mehlville School District hired its next superintendent.
Jeff Haug, chief operations officer for Special School District of St. Louis, will take the helm July 1 the district announced Monday. He replaces Superintendent Chris Gaines, who announced at the start of the year that he would retire in August. Gaines served as the Mehlville superintendent for eight years and is retiring to take a position with local nonprofit EducationPlus.
Haug has worked for Special School District since 2020 and oversees departments such as finances, food services, maintenance, security and transportation. Before joining SSD, he worked as the chief finance officer for the Meramec Valley R-III School District in Pacific for three years, as assistant superintendent for instruction in the Hazelwood School District and has seven years of experience as a middle school principal. He started his education career as a social studies teacher at St. Dominic High School and also taught at McCluer North High in the Ferguson-Florissant School District.
Haug has a Bachelor of Science in history from Truman State University and his doctorate and master’s degrees in educational leadership from Lindenwood University.
“I am honored by the opportunity to serve the students, staff and community of the Mehlville School District. I am humbled to partner with district stakeholders to continue the tradition of success for all children,” Haug said in a statement. “Throughout the interview process, everyone spoke about the incredibly dedicated staff and amazing families of the Mehlville School District. That support, compassion, and conviction are what drew me in and will continue to inspire me through this transition. I cannot wait to become part of a school district and community with such strong traditions and belief in students.”
The Mehlville Board of Education selected Haug following a national search conducted by EGL Association, a not-for-profit association that assists with superintendent searches for public school districts, among other services.
“Mehlville is a proud district with a noteworthy tradition of educational excellence,” Board President Peggy Hassler said in a press release. “It was clear that Dr. Haug is very student-centered. We were impressed with his desire to collaborate and continue to build effective teams that will make a difference in our schools. We are confident Dr. Haug’s diverse background, experience, and personal qualities will be a significant contribution in Mehlville School District’s journey to excellence.”
