Dr. Kendra Schneider Named New Director of Special Education
Gretna, NE – December 9, 2025

Gretna Public Schools is thrilled to announce Dr. Kendra Schneider as the new Director of Special Education, effective July 1, 2026, following Paul Duin’s retirement. Dr. Schneider has served as Assistant Director since 2021, leading program supervision, compliance, and professional learning initiatives.

“I’m extremely excited to serve as the Director of Special Education for Gretna Public Schools,” Dr. Schneider said. “Paul Duin has been an incredible mentor, and I’m honored to build upon the strong foundation and high-quality programs established by him and Deb Siemers, the previous Director of Special Education. I look forward to working alongside our talented special education team, collaborating with families, and ensuring every student receives the support they need. Gretna Public Schools’ commitment to excellence in special education is evident, and I’m eager to contribute to our continued growth and success.”

Superintendent Travis Lightle added, “We are excited to announce Dr. Schneider as our new Director of Special Education. Her leadership over the last five years has led to positive changes in our district, and our department’s retention rate remains the envy of the state because of it. Dr. Schneider’s experience and genuine dedication to Gretna Public Schools make her the ideal person to continue advancing our programs.”

Dr. Schneider brings more than 20 years of experience in special education and also serves as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. She holds a Doctorate and two Master’s degrees from the University of Nebraska and is actively involved in statewide initiatives advancing special education.
about 18 hours ago, Gretna Public School District
photo of Kendra Schneider and text reading New Director of Special Education
7th-grade students had a rock, paper, scissors tournament in the gym this morning before school. Congrats to our winners!
about 20 hours ago, ERICA WALSH
Photo of several pairs of students standing around the gym playing rock, paper, scissors.
Photo of two female students battling in rock, paper, scissors. Other female students are gathered around. Some are watching the battle and others are looking at the camera.
Photo of 7th grade students gathered around a boy and a girl facing off in a rock, paper, scissors battle.
Over the weekend, Mrs. Rindone and 11 other social studies teachers from Gretna Public Schools traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the NCSS Conference. While there, our teachers collaborated with educators from across the nation, explored new strategies for engaging students in social studies, visited some of the nation’s most iconic landmarks, and even had the chance to meet Carl Azuz — the host of the popular middle school current events show “The World From A to Z with Carl Azuz”.
1 day ago, ERICA WALSH
Photo of six social studies teachers standing in front of the Capitol Building. There are three female teachers in front and three male teachers behind them.
Photo of Mrs. Rindone standing in front of the Capitol Building in Washington D.C.
Photo of Mrs. Rindone on the left standing next to Carl Azuz on the right at the social studies convention.
Today, the ModAc Group from Gretna High visited the District Office to spread holiday cheer! Their wonderful performance brightened our office and filled us with festive joy for the season. We’re always delighted to welcome carolers.
5 days ago, Gretna Public School District
Large group of singers in board room singing with sheet music and dancing
Group of singers in board room singing with sheet music
students singing in the board room with sheet music and some with reindeer antlers
Large group of singers in board room performing with santa hats and reindeer antlers
Our caroling crew is hard at work preparing for their performance at the Gretna Hy-vee this Thursday! Need some groceries? Music Maniacs and Crescendo Choir would love to perform for you while you shop!
8 days ago, ERICA WALSH
Photo of multiple rows of choir students sitting in chairs looking at sheet music to practice singining.
8th graders started building roller coasters today as a part of their kinetic energy unit.
9 days ago, ERICA WALSH
Photo of a classroom full of students. They are gathered around tables working together to build roller coasters.
Photo of a classroom full of students. They are gathered around tables working together to build roller coasters.
We are wrapping up our gratitude series with a huge thank you to all of you—the students and families we serve at ACMS! Thank you for all you do. Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!
13 days ago, ERICA WALSH
Graphic with orange, yellow, and green fall leaves around the outside. In the middle of the leaves is text stating: Happy Thanksgiving from the ACMS Staff with an ACMS logo below it.
The high school mascots made an appearance at our annual Turkey Fest Dodgeball Tournament yesterday.
14 days ago, ERICA WALSH
Photo of the Gretna High dragon mascot standing next to the Gretna East griffin mascot.
Today, we are thankful for our awesome classmates! We appreciate the friendships, support, and memories we make together every day at ACMS.

Graphic created by Photography Club student, Sienna K.
15 days ago, ERICA WALSH
Graphic that has fall floral around a picture of six 6th grade students standing together and smiling. Above the photo is text stating: At Aspen Creek Middle School, we are thankful for our fellow classmates.

We are so thankful for Charlie Brown, our school therapy dog! We love seeing him run around ACMS—the days he's here are always a little bit brighter. 🐾

Graphic created by 7th graders, Remy N. and Helana G.

16 days ago, ERICA WALSH
Graphic with text at the top stating: At Aspen Creek, we are thankful for Charlie Brown! Below that is picture of Charlie Brown, the dog, wearing his therapy vest and crocks and socks on his feet.
Club Gratitude! We are so thankful for the many opportunities students have to participate in various clubs and activities at ACMS. Getting involved is a great way to learn and grow!

Graphic created by 7th graders, Aleeya S. and Madeline F.
17 days ago, ERICA WALSH
Graphic with text at the top stating: At Aspen Creek Middle School, we are thankful for our clubs and activities. Below are clipart images representing several of those: ruler, camera, paintbrush, UNO cards, dice, basketball, football, chess pieces, and lego.
Let's show some gratitude for our amazing Food and Nutrition staff! We are so thankful for their hard work and for cooking us delicious lunches every day here at Aspen Creek.

Graphic created by 7th graders, Helana G. and Remy N.
18 days ago, ERICA WALSH
Graphic with a bowl of spaghetti in the top left corner. To the right of it is text stating: At Aspen Creek, we are thankful for lunch staff! Below that is a picture of our five food and nutrition staff members.
Today, we're thankful for the incredible support team at Aspen Creek! Our warm and friendly secretaries are the heart of our school, keeping everything running smoothly—and always with a smile!

Graphic created by Photography Club student, Sienna K.
19 days ago, ERICA WALSH
Graphic with text at the top stating: At Aspen Creek Middle School, we are thankful for our school secretaries. Below that is a picture of four secretaries putting their hands on each others heads to stand in a vertical line. There are graphics of a ghost, a pumpkin and pencils, and a fall truck around them.

Gretna Public Schools Board of Education Attends 2025 NASB State Education Conference

The Gretna Public Schools Board of Education spent two days at the 2025 NASB State Education Conference—Nebraska’s largest annual gathering for school board leaders. The event provides valuable training and collaboration on key topics such as legislative updates, emerging educational trends, student well-being, school safety, school finance, and effective district governance.

By participating, board members bring back insights that support informed decision-making and strengthen the long-term success of Gretna Public Schools. We appreciate their dedication to professional growth and continued service to our students, staff, and community.

19 days ago, Gretna Public School District
The Gretna Board of Education and Superintendent posing for a picture at the NASB State Conference
a selfie of the Gretna Board of Education at the NASB 2025 State Education Conference
Today, we want to share our gratitude for the Aspen Creek counselors! Thank you for your kindness, support, and for always being a helpful guide to our students and staff!

Graphic created by 7th graders, Helana G. and Remy N.
20 days ago, ERICA WALSH
Graphic with a heart at the top and text below stating: At Aspen Creek, we are grateful for our counselors! Below the text is a picture of Ms. Brown on the left and Mr. Dostal on the right.
Spanish Club had fun learning los colores y los numeros with Skittles yesterday!
20 days ago, ERICA WALSH
Photo of two students sitting at desks looking at the camera and smiling with Skittles and paper in front of them for their activity.
Photo of three students sitting at desks looking at the camera and smiling with Skittles and paper in front of them for their activity.
Photo of two students sitting at desks looking at the camera and smiling with Skittles and paper in front of them for their activity.
Photo of two students sitting at a table looking at the camera smiling.
Gratitude Week Begins! Students at ACMS are spending this week showcasing what we are thankful for at our school. We start today by celebrating our incredibly hard-working teachers—thank you for all you do!

Graphic created by Photography Club student, Sienna K.
21 days ago, ERICA WALSH
Graphic with text at the top stating: At Aspen Creek Middle School, we are thankful for our amazing teachers. Below the text are five pictures of teachers. Top left is science teacher, Ms. Roland. Top right is industrial tech teacher, Mr. Gatewood. Middle is world language teacher, Ms. Ralston. Bottom left is math teacher, Ms. Aude, and bottom right is English teacher, Ms. Kava.
The seventh-grade Quiz Bowl team placed 1st out of 23 teams at the recent ESU3 Fall Quiz Bowl competition! Congrats to Bennett, Harrison, Nash, and Reid on your championship win!
23 days ago, ERICA WALSH
Photo of four students lined up wearing gold medals from their competition. One student is holding his medal between his teeth.
6th graders in FCS wrote and performed Nutrient Raps, displaying their knowledge of the 6 essential nutrients.
26 days ago, ERICA WALSH
Photo of two students standing and holding a paper as they perform their nutrient rap.
Our 8th-grade teachers are having fun with our new office window decoration! Shoutout to Mrs. Richards and her art students for creating this fantastic photo op.
26 days ago, ERICA WALSH
Photo of a painting of three turkeys with circles cut out where their eyes would go. Three teachers placed their heads in those circles to make it look like they are the turkeys.