Czapla creates bright environment at Moore with selfless leadership

October 27, 2025

Gary Czapla’s desire to share the leadership spotlight with everyone at Moore Middle School has helped him become a shining role model for Lincoln residents.
 
Czapla’s team-first leadership approach is creating sunny outcomes for hundreds of students, parents and co-workers at Lincoln Public Schools. Czapla began teaching at Bryan Community in 1993 and has helped people across the city ever since. He is being recognized during National Principals Month, which takes place across the United States each October.

 
Czapla has created a culture of respect, trust and empathy during his nine years as Moore’s principal. He credited mentors such as school namesake Marilyn Moore for teaching him the value of taking notes from many people every day.
 
“It’s really trying to think about all of the people who come into the building and getting their ideas,” Czapla said. “It’s creating a place where teachers feel that they have a lot of input as to what is going on. It’s about talking to board members and custodians and office staff and folks from operations, and we look at student feedback on what they’re thinking about and how they’re viewing things. I feel like we have a really good collective group of people who have taken ownership of the building.”
 
LPS Director of Secondary Instruction Jessie Fries said Czapla has become a beacon of goodwill to many Mountain Lion students and families. She said his selfless personality is a primary reason for Moore’s bright environment.
 
“Gary is known for his ability to recognize and grow leadership in others,” Fries said. “He is intentional about fostering a culture of collaboration and shared ownership at Moore Middle School. As a supportive and collaborative school leader, he actively engages with staff, students and colleagues, always valuing their perspectives and learning alongside them to move Moore forward.”

 
Czapla grew up in Genoa, Neb., and earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He began his LPS career as a teacher and instructional coordinator at Bryan Community, and he filled his first administrative role as associate principal at Southeast High School. He held principal positions at Bryan Community and Culler Middle School before starting his current role at Moore.
 
Czapla said he looks forward to speaking with as many people as possible about ways to help everyone on Moore’s campus.
 
“There are so many minds that you can draw from to try to create a space where teachers and students can flourish,” Czapla said. “There are always ways to adjust and change to make things better, and it’s fun to work together to come up with ideas that allow everybody to have an opportunity to be successful. Being a part of that whole collective thinking is what I really, really enjoy. It’s one of my favorite things about being a principal.”
 
Many of those conversations happen with teachers in their classrooms. Czapla said he is continually motivated and impressed by what he sees taking place during his daily building tours.
 
“There’s nothing better than going in and seeing a talented teacher working with a student,” Czapla said. “It’s seeing that teacher be able to help that student learn a new concept like figuring out how to do a math story problem, or it’s getting them excited about the school play or getting to participate in intramurals. It’s just that interaction that you get to see every day.
 
“There are just so many good teachers that I’ve been able to watch. It’s how they get students to achieve something new and believe in themselves a little bit more. It’s really remarkable to see that.”
 
Czapla said those helpful attitudes can be found in hallways, offices and cafeterias as well. His tenure at Moore has been filled with stories of staff members going above and beyond to help Mountain Lions in all grades.
 
“There’s no shortage of brilliant people to learn from, and it’s not just teachers or administrators,” Czapla said. “It’s secretaries, paras, counselors, food service workers, custodial staff. It’s everybody. It’s watching how they believe in the importance of all students being cared for. It’s that whole community coming together.”
 
Czapla said that kindness does not go unnoticed by Moore students. One of the school’s food service workers announced in October that she would be retiring, and Czapla brought her to the stage in the multipurpose room to be recognized by the eighth graders. The entire lunchroom gave her a standing ovation for her efforts.
 
“It’s been my experience that middle school students have a lot of empathy and a lot of desire to support other people,” Czapla said. “It’s really neat to see that they value other people who have helped them in their lives, and that doesn’t just happen by chance. It happens through great parenting, great teachers, great support staff. It was so cool to be a part of something like that.”

 
Czapla said he is grateful for the role models he has learned from over the past three decades. He said their expertise has allowed him to enjoy many bright moments at LPS.
 
“I’ve been so fortunate to have had the mentors that I’ve had in my career,” Czapla said. “There have been so many of them who have helped me and guided me and challenged me. It’s been incredibly encouraging. If you want to be an administrator at LPS, there are plenty of people who can help you along the way.”
 
Gary Czapla leads a team of talented staff members who help more than 800 Moore students succeed in school. Visit moore.lps.org to learn about the school’s departments, programs and daily announcements.
 
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