School board names interim superintendent

The Kansas City School Board has chosen an interim superintendent and developed a timeline for finding a permanent one. This all follows current Superintendent R. Stephen Green’s announcement last month that he will leave the district for a job in Georgia.

The district’s Chief Financial Offer, Allan Tunis, will serve as interim superintendent while the district does a nationwide search for a permanent replacement.

The board said it hired Tunis with the expectation he will continue programs and policies Green had already established. Board Chair Jon Hile said the district needs to stay focused on increasing individual student achievement while it conducts its search.

“Having Mr. Tunis at the helm of KCPS will allow us to continue on our path to full state accreditation and beyond while we search for our new, permanent leader,” Mr. Hile said. “We are confident that Mr. Tunis and the entire KCPS leadership team will ensure that great teaching and learning happens uninterrupted in our classrooms during this transition.”

Tunis joined the district as CFO in 2011 and has more than four decades of experience in public education and administration. He was a principal in the Park Hill School District and served for 10 years as an administrator for Metropolitan Community College.

Kansas City Mayor Sly James praised Mr. Tunis’ selection, saying the city and KCPS have developed a very productive partnership that he expects to continue.

In addition to selecting Mr. Tunis as Interim Superintendent, the Board also approved an anticipated timeline for the leadership transition process. The timeline forecasts that the board will select a permanent superintendent in the late spring of 2016. The board also chose the consulting firm Ray and Associates to guide the search for candidates.

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