LAURENS — The Laurens-Marathon Community School District has a new superintendent.

Scott Williamson took over as the leader of Laurens-Marathon on July 1.

Williamson, who is shared between Laurens-Marathon and the Sioux Central Community School District, succeeds Jeff Kruse, who announced earlier this year that he was resigning as the shared superintendent between Laurens-Marathon and the South Central Calhoun School District.

According to Williamson, Kruse was one reason he was interested in serving as the superintendent for Laurens-Marathon.

“I’d been at Sioux Central for about five years now, which is directly west of Laurens-Marathon,” Williamson said. “And he talked to me a little bit about it and it got me interested in it.”

He also said serving as the shared superintendent will be beneficial to both school districts.

“No doubt it’s beneficial to Sioux Center to share a superintendent with the financial situations with rural schools, and it’s the same with Laurens-Marathon,” he said. “I thought it was a good fit for us and that’s what piqued my interest in it.”

Williamson has a number of goals he’d like to accomplish in his tenure at Laurens-Marathon.

“The first goal is to maintain a strong, K-8 elementary building here in Laurens,” he said. “I think that’s our first and primary goal.”

He believes that having a strong school will benefit both the school and the town.

“If we can build a K-8 elementary that is very strong and vibrant, that’ll be an attraction to the town and community,” he said. “And that’s what I find most exciting.”

Williamson also has a long-term goal of thinking ahead of possible capital projects or improvements to the building.

In fact, Williamson said the district recently entered into a partnership that will benefit the school.

“Kids Korner, the daycare in the community of Laurens, is going to start using space in our building and renting space,” he said. “Hopefully that will be a terrific attraction to people that the daycare is right in the elementary building.”

He said that was put into motion at the end of Kruse’s tenure with the district.

“Hopefully it’ll make a very successful venture for both Laurens-Marathon and Kids Korner,” he said.

Williamson said he’ll be spending Tuesdays and Thursdays at Laurens-Marathon and Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Sioux Central. By contract, he’ll have to spend 60 percent of his time at Sioux Central and 40 percent of his time at Laurens-Marathon.