July 9, 2025 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

‘I have always known that the community of St. Joseph values and supports its schools’

Lance Landeck knows how important its schools are to St. Joseph.


That’s why he applied to be the new superintendent of the St. Joseph Grade School District.


“Growing up, as well as spending my entire professional educational career in East Central Illinois, I have always known that the community of St. Joseph values and supports its schools and that is the type of community and district I was looking for.”


The Board of Education hired Lance Landeck during the Nov. 14, 2022 Board of Education meeting.


Landeck replaced Todd Pence who retired on June 30, 2023 after leading the district for 21 years.


Landeck has over 26 years of experience as a teacher, coach, principal, and Superintendent. He began his career as a seventh-grade world geography and PE teacher in Tuscola. He then served as principal for the pre-K through eighth-grade students in the Atwood-Hammond School District. From 2011 to 2023 he served as the Superintendent of the Oakland Schools.


Landeck said during the hiring process he met with all seven school board members.


“ I went in with the strategy of simply being myself and if being myself demonstrated that I was the person they were looking for then we had a match,” he said.


He then met with the administration, teachers, and support staff.


“ I felt the interaction with all three groups only solidified for me that St. Joseph Grade School 169 was a district I wanted to be a part of,” he said.

Landeck said he considers himself to have a transformational leadership style and wants to encourage, inspire, and motivate all members of the district to be the best possible version of themselves they can be.


“When everyone is operating at their best, the organization itself can be its best self,” he said.

Landeck said the biggest challenge facing districts today is the shortage of educators, teachers and administrators. Landeck said he believes the superintendent sets the tone for the culture and climate of the district.


“I want school to be somewhere students and staff alike look forward to going to each and every day,” he said. “No one wants to go to work somewhere every day where they are not enjoying themselves.”


Landeck said Oakland had a much higher and growing rate of students that qualify for free and reduced lunch than St. Joseph. Many of those students are considered low-income and often have personal factors that impact their learning, Landeck said.


“The challenge is to help educators that may not have an understanding of what some of our student’s lives outside of school are like to gain understanding,” Landeck said. For some of those students reading and math are the least of their concerns and we have to understand that when trying to educate them.”


Landeck said his decision-making process for the district is focused on what is best for students. He also wants parents to know he will listen to their concerns.


“That doesn’t mean I will always agree with them but I will listen with an open mind,” he said.


Landeck said he doesn’t have an agenda of things he wants to change within the district.

“My first year will be what I have referred to as my ‘Look, Listen and Learn Tour,’” he said. “I don’t want to just learn the procedures and systems of the district but I want to learn the why behind them.”


Landeck said he also wants to work with stakeholders within the district to identify common priorities and goals of the district and then a strategic plan to work towards those priorities and goals then in five years’ time the district will re-evaluate what it is doing and work towards those identified priorities and goals.


“We should be asking ourselves if we still have the same properties and goals five years later and if not what our new priorities and goals are,” he said. “I am excited to be a part of the St. Joseph 169 community.”

in Schools
Banner
Related Posts

SJO 4th quarter high honor roll

June 2, 2022

June 2, 2022

Our Honor Rolls are sponsored by Appl Sanitary. FreshmenAllinger, OliviaBeckett, EJBenoit, AudreyBonny, SarahBrown, LandonClampitt, MadisonDavenport, AerolynDietiker, EllaDitchfield, LukeEnnis, JacksonFranzen, SavannaFunk,...

Voters approve referendum

June 30, 2022

June 30, 2022

Superintendent Todd Pence is thankful. Thankful that a referendum asking voters to approve their tax rate by .22 percent passed....

Franzen chosen to lead middle school

March 30, 2021

March 30, 2021

The new St. Joseph Middle School Principal will be a familiar face. The St. Joseph Consolidated Community School Board voted...

St. Joseph 7th Grade Honor Roll

November 9, 2021

November 9, 2021

Albrecht, Samuel Benoit, Zachary Canamore, Willis Colvin, Jaxson Ditchfield, Nickolas Downs, Justin Ennis, Jameson Gaines, Leah Garrett, Elijah George, Gunnar...

St. Joseph Middle School 8th grade high honor roll

April 7, 2022

April 7, 2022

ST. JOSEPH MIDDLE SCHOOL —  3rd Quarter, 2021-2022 8th Grade High Honor Roll Ames, Trevor Barrowman, Lexie Beyers, Kaitlyn Bird,...

5 questions with Mallory Wagner

April 16, 2023

April 16, 2023

Mallory Wagner plays Jay in St. Joseph-Ogden’s “The Descendents”. We asked Mallory five questions before the final show today at...

Live at SJO School Board, Special meeting

January 11, 2023

January 11, 2023

It’s a special meeting night. Construction on the relocate softball field could start as early as February so they need...

SJO Second Quarter High Honor Roll

January 13, 2022

January 13, 2022

FreshmenBarton, RylieBeckett, EJBenoit, AudreyBesson, WilliamBonny, SarahBrazelton, HoldenBrown, LandonChristians, PresleeClampitt, MadisonDavenport, AerolynDewese, LaurenDietiker, EllaDitchfield, LukeEnnis, JacksonFranzen, SavannaFunk, AddisonGaines, KaidenGerdes, TaytonGetty, OliviaGuido,...

Heritage Junior High Honor Roll

January 19, 2023

January 19, 2023

HONOR ROLL Heritage Junior High has compiled the list of honor roll students for the second quarter. Astudent must have...

SJO Winter Sports Letter/Awards Winners

March 20, 2023

March 20, 2023

Dance TeamKatie EarleyCourtney MyrenSamantha BeetzGrace GettyTaylyn LockhartOlivia GettyReese WheatleyMadison WolkenAbby GettyLily RiceGracyn Sjoken MIP- Lily RiceDance Your Heart Out Award-...

Live at SJO School Board, Dec.19, 2023

December 19, 2023

December 19, 2023

It’s time for the Ag Curriculum review. These are always really interesting and showcase what strong academic programs SJO has....

Madrigals return to St. Joseph-Ogden

December 1, 2024

December 1, 2024

A Christmas tradition is coming back. The St. Joseph-Ogden Music Department is hosting a Madrigal Dinner on Dec. 7. 2024...

Live at SJO school board

September 23, 2019

September 23, 2019

We are here at SJO school board. They are discussing the insurance group they belong to and their options. An...

SJO Fourth Quarter High Honor Roll

July 11, 2023

July 11, 2023

FRESHMANAmes, TrevorBarrowman, KylieBarrowman, LexieBeyers, KaitlynBird, EmilyBlackburn-Kelley, TimBonny, AidenBrooks, AddisonBytnar, SaraCampbell, ShelbyCarlson, JacobCarlson, WilliamChaudhary, RudraChilders, AdelynEricksen, KatieEvans, CallieGetty, AbigailGetty, CamdenHaley, WilliamHarper,...

St. Joseph Middle School 5th grade honor roll

November 14, 2023

November 14, 2023

FIRST NAME LAST NAME Sophia Albrecht Madison Beeler Abigail Bewley Kynleigh Blunier Connor Bowman Naomi Cavanaugh Konlee Christians Henry Cluver...

Comments
Leave a Reply