The Board of Education has hired Linda Brock of Fort Madison to be Fort Dodge’s new superintendent, according to Board President, Jerry Schnurr.

Schnurr said the board offered Brock the job at a special board meeting Monday night and she accepted the position. Brock will begin her duties on July 1 of this year.

Brock is replacing longtime superintendent, Dr. David Haggard, who announced earlier this school year that he was leaving the district at the conclusion of his contract.

Haggard has been with the district for nearly 20 years.

Brock has been the superintendent at Fort Madison since 2001, according to Schnurr. A press release from the district also stated that she has served in various administrative capacities at Fort Madison, including assistant superintendent, director of student services and coordinator of special education.

Brock was selected from a pool of four finalists identified by the G. Tryon and Associates group, an organization hired by the district to help find a replacement for Haggard.

According to its school web-site, Fort Madison currently has 780 students in grades 9-12 and 560 middle school students in grades 6-8. It also has four elementary buildings and a Creative Learning Center, which is similar to Fort Dodge’s Alternative High School.

The city of Fort Madison has approximately 12,000 residents.