It’s official: The Lyle Public School board has hired Joe Guanella as interim superintendent.

The board made the hiring during a special meeting at the school Saturday.

“We’re looking forward to you coming, “ board member Carl Truckenmiller told Guanella.

Over the remaining four months of the school year, Guanella will make $31,580. or what was left on superintendent Jim Dusso’s contract.

The meeting was brief, as Guanella agreed to the terms set in Dusso’s contract Thursday. Dusso will leave the district on Feb. 29 after serving less than a year as superintendent.

Guanella told the board he plans to meet with various service clubs, so he’ll be more known in the community. He also said he plans to get a lot of face-time with the students and staff to become acclimated to the community.

“I like what I’ve seen of the town,” he said. “I enjoy the people I’ve met. They have a nice facility here.”

Board member Jerry Sampson said Guanella has been in the business for many years, so the transition should be easy.

He also said the board lucked out by finding Guanella.

Guanella is the former superintendent/principal of Alden-Conger Schools. He resigned last May after serving eight years as the district’s head. He has lived in Alden since 1962, where he was a member of the school board for 20 years and also took the superintendent job about 20 years after his father served as Alden-Conger superintendent.

Guanella started as a teacher, left education to work in the retail sector, then owned businesses in Minneapolis and Chicago before returning to education.

— Trey Mewes contributed to this report.