Submitted photo SouthWest Metro Intermediate School District 288 announced Tuesday that pending contract negotiations and background checks, Gibbon Fairfax Winthrop (GFW) Public School Superintendent Dr. Jeff Horton has been selected as its next superintendent.

SHAKOPEE — The SouthWest Metro Intermediate School District 288 announced Tuesday that GFW superintendent Dr. Jeff Horton has been selected as its next superintendent.

Pending successful completion of contract negotiations and background checks, Horton said he would become SouthWest Metro Intermediate School District superintendent July 1.

SouthWest Metro serves students in 11 member school districts and eight associate member districts.

An intermediate school district is a special designation applied to a school district formed as a cooperative effort of two or more school districts offering integrated services for secondary, post-secondary and adult students in vocational education.

Horton became Gibbon Fairfax Winthrop (GFW) Public School superintendent in July 2020 as the district was facing a number of challenges including statutory operating debt (SOD), an upcoming operating levy election, and facility challenges.

Since then, the district exited SOD with a sustainable budget, added new student programs including a two-way dual language immersion program, and expanded career and technical education programs.

With support of 63% of voters in an April 2023 election, the district recently broke ground for a new PreK-12 facility set to open in Gibbon in the fall of 2025.

Horton said he and the GFW school board are committed to develop a robust transition plan that will continue to move forward and continue to grow future world class leaders.

“It has been a true honor to serve the people that make up GFW Public Schools. The work we have done in collaboration has forever transformed the future of this region. I can’t say enough about the wonderful people,” said Horton.