The Portage la Prairie School Division (PLPSD) will officially have a new superintendent next week.

Todd Cuddington's tenure is set to begin Monday. He is replacing outgoing head Hazen Barrett, who will remain on in an advisory role for some time to help facilitate the transition.

Cuddington says a lot of his focus leading up to his start date has been on resettling his family in Manitoba, as he was working and living overseas when hired last May.

"That's the biggest thing, just getting ourselves settled and re-establishing back in Canada," Cuddington says. "But we're really feeling quite settled now, and glad we had the time to transition."

From a professional standpoint, the incoming superintendent says he has taken time to meet administration and trustees. He's also been sitting in on board meetings for the past month to gauge the process.

"I've attended a number of professional development events and at least been able to make an introduction to our group," Cuddington says. "But I've wanted to do that slowly so we have a nice transition between Hazen and I."