The St. Johns County School District (SJCSD) recently announced that Kyle Dresback, principal of Allen D. Nease High School (NHS), has been selected to become associate superintendent of student support services for the district. His nomination will be presented to the St. Johns County School Board at its Jan. 10 meeting by incoming Superintendent Tim Forson.
“Bringing Kyle onto the district leadership team only strengthens us and provides us with some great experience and talent,” said Forson, who officially assumed his new role Jan. 1. “We continue to maintain and build great leadership teams at the school district.”
Dresback will replace Cathy Mittelstadt, who has been selected to serve as the deputy superintendent for operations. Mittelstadt succeeds Martha Mickler, who recently retired. Mittelstadt’s nomination will also be presented to the school board Jan. 10.
“I have the utmost respect for Cathy and her judgment,” Forson said. “I really look forward to her leading the operational side of the house.”
According to Forson, this overall transition will not take place until a new principal is appointed for Nease, which the incoming superintendent said can take as short as two weeks or as long as a few months. The process of gathering input from staff and the community will start in mid-January.
“He’s not going to leave Nease until we have that replacement selected, and he/she is able to be in place,” Forson said. “That could be anywhere from February to April. We just want to make sure we have the right person.”
In Dresback’s new role, he will oversee support services for students and their families, which includes guidance services, health services, the homeless population within the district, discipline and more.
“I am honored by the opportunity to take on this new position,” Dresback said. “I am excited to work with the student services team to expand and grow our assistance to students.”
Employed with the district since 1996, Dresback has served as principal of Nease High School since 2009. Prior to that role, he served as principal of Switzerland Point Middle School, assistant principal at St. Augustine High School and as the district’s director of purchasing. He also served as the registrar at Nease, where he previously taught math and computer science.
Dresback holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of North Florida and is working on his doctorate at the University of Florida.
Mittelstadt will lead the business side of the school system, which includes capital growth, legislative understanding and influence, technology and construction and maintenance of facilities. She has been the associate superintendent for student support services since 2015 and has also served as interim principal of First Coast Technical College.
Mittelstadt began her career at Orange County’s Apopka High School in 1993 and joined SJCSD in 2003. She has served as the assistant principal at Pedro Menendez High School, principal of R.J. Murray Middle School and principal of St. Augustine High School. Mittelstadt holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a master’s degree from the University of Central Florida and an educational specialist degree from Nova Southeastern University.
“I am humbled and honored to serve in this capacity,” she said. “I look forward to expanding my knowledge and building relationships to support student success and growth throughout the district.”
