Oswego School District 308 Makes Two New Appointments

OSWEGO, IL — The Oswego School District 308 Board of Education approved the appointments of Jeremy Bell as the director of special education and Kyle Olesen as the director of technology for the 2020-2021 school year, during a remotely-conducted board meeting April 27.

According to a statement provided by the district, Bell is the current executive director of student services at East Aurora School District 131, where he has held that position since 2017, and was the assistant director of student services prior to that.

He has experience with leading certified, classified and itinerant staff; creating schedules and sections for special education students and 504 students; and increasing parent participation in the IEP process.

Bell received his masters of arts in educational leadership with an emphasis in school administration from Aurora University; masters of social work from Aurora University, George Williams College of Social Work, with an emphasis in school social work from Aurora University; and bachelor's of science in family, child and nutritional sciences with an emphasis in family social services from Northern Illinois University.

“Mr. Bell is a transformational leader with extensive experience in improving outcomes for students” said Dr. Denise Hildebrand, executive director of special education. “We are excited to have hired an administrator whose background and experience in special education and social work will continue to support the district in addressing the emotional, behavioral, and academic needs of all learners.”

In another statement, the district said Olesen is the current director of IT at Ottawa Elementary Schools District 141, a position he’s held since 2012. In that role, he has led technology throughout the district, including hardware, software, and daily operations of all students and staff. Prior to Olesen’s role in the school district, he held a position as a web developer and lead designer, where he designed and developed hundreds of websites that varied from small to multimillion dollar e-commerce stores.

“Mr. Olesen has experience in managing and creating technology systems that ensure student safety and privacy as well as enhance the educational experiences,” said Faith Dahlquist, associate superintendent of education services. “We are excited to have hired an administrator with his background, experience and knowledge in both the technology field as well as the education field to lead the technology department for our district.”