Rachel Harper has been hired to be assistant principal at Dodge Elementary School for the upcoming school year. (Courtesy photo)
GRAND ISLAND – Grand Island Public Schools (GIPS) is announcing that Rachel Harper will be joining the district as the assistant principal at Dodge Elementary School in the 2026-27 school year.
Harper brings six years of classroom and teacher leadership experience to the district from Gering Public Schools.
For the last five years, she has served as a fifth-grade teacher, a co-leader for Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) for her school, been a Professional Learning Community (PLC) lead, and provided instructional support for colleague educators.
She has a bachelor’s degree in English Education from Utah Valley University, a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Nebraska-Kearney, and will be completing a master’s degree in Educational Administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln this year.
Concerning the new opportunity, Harper said, “I am thrilled to be joining Grand Island Public Schools and stepping into the assistant principal role at Dodge Elementary. I can’t wait to work alongside the Dodge team to support students, staff, and families and keep building on the great things already happening there.”
This move comes after Kelli Wemhoff, current Dodge assistant principal, will become the principal of Starr Elementary School starting this summer.
Matt Fisher, GIPS Superintendent, endorsed the decision to hire Harper.
“We are excited to have Mrs. Harper joining our staff.” Fisher shared. “She has shown herself to be a strong instructional leader in her previous roles. We are confident that our students and staff at Dodge will benefit from the talents she brings.”
As Harper looks to move into her new role early this summer; the district will be scheduling opportunities for staff, students, and families to connect with her before the 2026-27 school year.
