WRIGHTSTOWN, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A longtime educator in Northeast Wisconsin is taking the reins of the Wrightstown school district.
Dirk Ribbens has been named the district’s next superintendent, the school board announced Monday.
Ribbens is currently principal of Ashwaubenon High School.
“I am honored and excited to be the next superintendent of the Wrightstown School District,” Ribbens said in a news release. “It is a great school in a wonderful community. I look forward to collaborating with the community, the school board, staff, students, and parents to make this a place where students learn at high levels, feel safe and connected, and develop the skills to be successful after they finish school.”
Before becoming Ashwaubenon High School’s principal in 2019, Ribbens spent a decade as associate principal at the school.
He has more than 30 years of experience in education overall.
Ribbens has an educational specialist degree in educational leadership from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a master’s degree in education leadership from UW-Madison and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Lawrence University.
Ribbens will be Wrightstown’s fourth superintendent in less than two years. James Smasal is interim superintendent for this school year. Before that, Ronald Saari was named interim district administrator in January 2025 but resigned in August. Saari replaced Andy Space, who retired at the end of the first semester of the 2024-25 school year amid allegations concerning superintendent contractual matters, school purchases, open meetings law issues, legal counsel issues, board/staff relations and insubordination, which were all under review by an outside law firm.
