Principal & Assistant Principals Announcement

Waukee Community School District is excited to welcome Mr. Doug Barry, Dr. Joe Spiess, and Mrs. Katie Ferguson to the following administrative roles for the 2022-2023 school year, pending board approval.

Mr. Doug Barry will be the Assistant Principal at Eason Elementary and Maple Grove Elementary.

Doug has been in education for 24 years and in Waukee for 12 years. He previously served as the Principal at Maple Grove Elementary for four years and then at South Middle School for the past eight years. He and his wife of 23 years, Jen, have three boys, two of which have graduated from Waukee, and the youngest is currently a junior at Waukee High School. Doug looks forward to continuing to serve the Waukee community from a different seat and is excited to return to the elementary schools where his kids attended and where he previously served as Principal.

Dr. Joe Spiess will be the Principal at South Middle School.

Joe comes to us from Des Moines Public Schools with a variety of teaching and administrative experiences. During his time as a math teacher and instructional coach, Joe additionally served as an athletic coach and a show choir director. Joe’s administrative career has involved roles as a School Improvement Leader, Associate Middle School Principal, and acting Interim Middle School Principal.

Mrs. Katie Ferguson will be the Assistant Principal at Radiant Elementary and Sugar Creek Elementary.

Katie is honored to have the opportunity to serve as the Assistant Principal at Radiant Elementary and Sugar Creek Elementary next year. This is Katie’s ninth year working in the Waukee Community School District in a variety of administrative and teaching roles. Katie and her husband Darin have two Waukee graduates and two sons who currently attend Shuler Elementary.

As a district, we look forward to the knowledge, experience, and passion for student learning that each of them brings to these roles. Congratulations to Doug, Joe, and Katie!