Jamestown superintendent Robert Lech leaves for West Fargo post

Jamestown Public Schools is losing the leader who has guided the district since 2013, just as the county seat system in Stutsman County is wrestling with declining enrollment, aging elementary buildings and other long-term planning pressures. West Fargo Public Schools hired Dr. Rob Lech as its secondary assistant superintendent, and he is set to start there July 1.

Lech has served as Jamestown superintendent since July 1, 2013, making his departure a significant shift for a district that serves as one of the county’s largest public institutions. State education data lists Jamestown Public Schools at seven schools and 1,939 enrollment for the 2025-26 school year. The district includes four elementary schools, Jamestown Middle School, Jamestown High School, an alternative learning center and a transitional living program for students with disabilities.

The move also comes as Jamestown continues public discussions about facilities and student counts. District materials have pointed to declining enrollment and aging elementary infrastructure as major factors in recent planning, including questions around Washington Elementary. A district resource page has said leaders have been weighing facility needs, educational adequacy, safety and security, and stewardship of tax dollars.

West Fargo said it selected Lech from a pool of highly qualified candidates, citing both his administrative background and his broader career in education. The secondary assistant superintendent role also carries responsibility for districtwide English learner operations, adding another layer of district-level oversight to the job. Lech’s hiring ends a long run in Jamestown and gives West Fargo an experienced administrator who has led multiple North Dakota systems.

Before arriving in Jamestown, Lech was superintendent in Beulah from 2008 to 2013 and in Mt. Pleasant School District from 2005 to 2008. He was named North Dakota Superintendent of the Year in 2017. His résumé also includes work as a social studies teacher, an English teacher, a principal and an athletic director, along with service as a 7-12 principal in Rolla and Tappen and as a 7-12 social studies and language arts teacher in Richland 44 in Colfax.

Jamestown has also highlighted Lech’s broader state leadership. He served as president of the North Dakota Association of School Administrators in 2014/2015 and 2023/2024, represented North Dakota on the American Association of School Administrators governing board from 2015 to 2021, and has served on the Teachers’ Fund for Retirement board and the North Dakota State Investment Board since 2013. A Dickinson native and Dickinson High School graduate, he earned his bachelor’s degree in history education from Northern State University and both a master’s and doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Mary. He has been married to Sadie Lech since 1997, and the couple has three children. Jamestown also says Sadie Lech works as a kindergarten teacher in the district.

Lech’s departure leaves Jamestown Public Schools to navigate its next leadership step while continuing work on enrollment, facilities and district finances. The transition comes after he was one of three finalists for Fargo Public Schools superintendent in February 2025, when Fargo ultimately chose Cory Steiner.