The Kent School Board voted on Monday night to appoint retired Puyallup School District superintendent Tony Apostle as interim superintendent of the Kent School District.
Apostle retired in 2012 after 37 years as a teacher, coach, principal, and administrator for schools in Washington and eight years as chief of Puyallup schools. He led the Puyallup School District through a period of unprecedented student achievement, including remarkable gains in math and science.
“We are fortunate to be able to find such a quality leader in Dr. Apostle and welcome him into the Kent School District family,” said Board President Debbie Straus in a school district media release. “He comes highly regarded in the state’s educational community for his expertise in school financial accountability, staff leadership, and cultural responsiveness.”
Apostle starts the interim job this week. He will serve until a new permanent superintendent is named.
Apostle replaces outgoing Superintendent Edward Lee Vargas, who announced in October he will step down to serve as executive vice president of AVID, a national nonprofit college readiness program, and soon will begin working full time in California. Vargas will provide necessary consultation during the time of transition.
“I look forward to joining Kent School District’s strong leadership team and supportive community,” Apostle said. “I will continue Dr. Vargas’s student-focused approach to decision making and will work to maintain and build upon the incredible successes of the Kent School District.”
The board also voted Monday to approve a contract with Ray and Associates Inc. of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to conduct a national search for a permanent superintendent. Ray and Associates specializes in educational executive leadership candidate search and recruitment for public schools, private schools and higher education institutions.
The search process will include a national advertisement campaign to attract the highest-quality candidates and a thorough candidate screening and vetting process, as well as a comprehensive series of interviews, involving staff, students, families and community members.
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