Kent School Board to release names of superintendent finalists on March 16

A finalist list of candidates to become the new Kent School District superintendent is expected to be released on March 16 by the Kent School Board.

The board will review applications, interview candidates and select finalists over the next couple of weeks, according to a school district media release.

The review and interview process takes place between March 5-14 and will be led by Ray and Associates Inc. of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Contracted by the board in late-November, Ray and Associates specializes in educational executive leadership candidate searches and recruitment for public schools, private schools and higher education institutions.

Information about the finalists will be released along with their names.

Community forums with the finalists are scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon and 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18 in the district’s Administration Center Boardroom, 12033 S.E. 256th St. Community members are asked to attend and provide feedback about the candidates.

The board will select a new superintendent between March 19-25. The official announcement is scheduled for the Wednesday, March 25 board meeting.

For more information about the search process, go to kent.k12.wa.us/domain/859.

Edward Lee Vargas stepped down as superintendent in October after six years in Kent to accept a job as executive vice president of AVID, a national nonprofit college readiness program in California. Tony Apostle, a retired Puyallup School District superintendent, is serving as interim superintendent until Vargas’ successor can be found.

The Kent School District serves over 70 square miles of south King County including the cities of Kent, Covington, and portions of Auburn, Black Diamond, Maple Valley, Renton, and SeaTac. It is one of the most diverse districts in the state with over 130 languages spoken by its students and families.