De Soto Schools staff changes announced

June 16, 2026

By ANASTASIA PENCHI

DE SOTO, Wis. – The D Soto Area School District will have at least two new teachers this fall and some administrator jobs will change, too.

Katelyn McKittrick, a 2025 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse graduate who is from Readstown, has been hired to teach science at De Soto Area Middle School. Finley Konrad, a 2026 UW-La Crosse graduate from Westby, will become the second grade teacher at Prairie View Elementary in Retreat.

Scott Kelly, principal at Prairie View and hiring committee member, said he likes it when the district hires local teachers “so they hopefully stay around.”

Kelly won’t be Prairie View principal for much longer – he has been hired to become the De Soto Area Middle & High School principal for the 2026-27 school year. He starts the job on July 1, which is when Interim Superintendent Craig Gerlach leaves the district and current middle/high school principal, Tim Fergot, starts his new job as superintendent.

Derek Fuglsang, principal at Stoddard Elementary School, will then become principal at both Stoddard and Prairie View.

Gerlach, who attended his last regular school board meeting on June 15, told the board members they made a “good decision” when they developed the administrative transition plan. He said Fergot is ready for this new job after serving as assistant superintendent to Gerlach during the 2025-26 school year.

“It puts you guys that much further ahead,” Gerlach said. “Tim’s had his hands in everything.”