A familiar principal has been selected to open the 20th elementary school in District 196. Chad Ryburn, principal at Highland Elementary for the last 22 years, has accepted the opportunity to lead the new school, which will open in Rosemount next fall.

“I have absolutely loved my years at Highland and deeply appreciate the community we’ve built together,” Ryburn said. “This new role is an exciting opportunity for me to help build a school community from the ground up, and I am honored to take on this unique challenge.”

Ryburn brings more than 30 years of experience as an elementary educator. He started his career in San Antonio, Texas, before moving to Rosemount Elementary as a 5th-grade teacher in 1994. He taught 3rd and 4th grade at Northview Elementary and was an instructional assistant (assistant administrator) at Northview before becoming principal at Highland in 2002. Under his leadership, Highland Elementary was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2020.

Ryburn earned a bachelor’s degree in education with a Spanish minor from the University of Northern Iowa, a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of St. Mary’s (Winona, Minn.), and an education specialist degree in administration from the University of St. Thomas (Minn.). He earned National Board Certification in 1999 and 2009 and District 196 Outstanding Service Award in 2023.

The new elementary school, currently under construction at the intersection of Akron Avenue and Bonaire Path in Rosemount, is a replica of the East Lake Elementary School floor plan and will draw 600-700 students from the Rosemount Elementary and Red Pine Elementary attendance areas, per attendance area adjustments approved by the School Board earlier this month. District 196 will begin a community input process for naming the new elementary school in the coming weeks. Staffing the school for next year will begin in January 2025.