Twenty-four people have applied to be the next superintendent of the Kent School District.

“We are currently vetting them but we estimate that we will share the top six to 10 candidates and we recommend the board interview no more than three,” said Steven Lowder of McPherson and Jacobson, in a March 22 email.

McPherson and Jacobson is the Omaha, Nebraska-based national search firm hired by the Kent School Board in January for $25,500 to help find a new superintendent.

Calvin Watts left the Kent superintendent job last summer to return to Georgia to become superintendent of the Gwinnett County Public Schools.

Watts was an assistant superintendent for the Georgia district before taking the Kent job in 2015 at an annual salary of $250,000 per year and signing a three-year contract. Watts had an annual salary of $279,500 per year when he left Kent. He makes make more than $413,000 a year as superintendent of Gwinnett County Public Schools, according to ajc.com. That includes base salary ($380,972) and transportation and expense allowances.

The Kent board appointed Israel Vela as interim superintendent after Watts left. Vela was the district’s chief school operations and academic support officer, one of four lead administrators under Watts.

The board plans to select a new superintendent by the end of April with a starting date of July 1.

The board is scheduled to review the top six to 10 candidates during an executive session on March 30 and select up to three finalists, according to the district website.

Prior to April 4, the finalists will be named publicly. During the week of April 4-8, each finalist will spend a day touring schools, meeting with stakeholder groups and engage in an online forum that will be posted on the district’s website. Once the board picks a new superintendent, contract negotiations will begin.

The district had several community meetings earlier this year and conducted a superintendent search survey to get input from staff, students, parents and community members.

The board is looking for a superintendent with the following skills:

• An experienced leader with superior verbal and written communication skills.

• An individual who understands and enjoys the Kent community, climate, and culture.

• A person who willingly becomes a fully engaged member of the community for the long haul.

• A leader with experience in a district of similar size and diversity.

• A visionary leader with classroom experience and a deep understanding of teaching and learning.

• An individual who has a record of community volunteerism.

• A trusted, caring, empathetic, approachable individual who is seen as a strong supporter of public education.

• A leader who creates a safe environment where staff are allowed to be creative and not afraid to make mistakes.

• A unifier who can work with diverse opinions and find the commonalities for the benefit for the students.

• A data driver decision maker who is proactive not reactive.

• An experienced collaborator in developing successfully implemented plans.

• An educator who has a calm demeanor and is a superior multi-tasker.

District facts

With approximately 25,000 students (2021-2022 actual count is 24,819), Kent School District is the fifth largest school district in Washington state. There are more than 130 languages spoken in the district’s 42 schools. Kent School District is one of the largest, most culturally diverse school districts in the state, according to the district’s website.

Student race/ethnicity

• 28.56% white

• 23.63% Hispanic/Latino of any race(s)

• 21.53% Asian

• 13.07% Black/African American

• 9.68% two or more races

• 3.24% Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander

• 0.3% American Indian/Alaskan Native

Top five languages

1. English

2. Spanish

3. Vietnamese

4. Russian/Ukrainian

5. Punjabi