Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
Contact: Pegge Erkeneff, 907.714.8888
News Release
Superintendent Atwater announces his resignation
Soldotna, August 4, 2014—During an executive session with the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education, Dr. Steve Atwater, KPBSD superintendent, tendered his resignation, effective December 1, 2014. His resignation was formally announced and accepted during the public school board meeting. Dr. Atwater will leave KPBSD to become the Associate Vice President for K-12 Outreach at the University of Alaska.
“Deciding to resign as KPBSD’s superintendent was a difficult decision for me,” said Dr. Atwater. “Because my work leading our school district for the past five years has been so rewarding, it is hard to step down. However, I am excited to become the University of Alaska’s Associate Vice President for K-12 Outreach. I am appreciative of working for a supportive school board that places our students’ needs as their number one priority and am proud that our district made so many improvements while I was here. I know the district has a clear vision for what is next and is well positioned with a strong team to continue to meet its goals. I thank all of the employees of KPBSD, families, and community members of our borough for their commitment to our school district. It is an honor to serve our students; I look forward to continuing to do so in my new position.”
The school board met in executive session on Monday evening, and will determine the next step for a new KPBSD superintendent. Three options are possibilities: a national search and new hire; appoint a new superintendent from qualified internal or external candidates; or hire an interim superintendent for the remainder of the school year. When a decision about the next step is made, KPBSD will communicate with our staff, schools, families, and the public.
“It is with sincere regret that the board will accept the resignation of our superintendent, Dr. Steve Atwater,” said Joe Arness, school board president. “At the same time, we feel sincere pride and happiness in his accomplishments and his movement towards a new challenge. His tenure here has been entirely productive and successful and he can take justified pride in the organization that he has been instrumental in creating and continuing. The district will continue in its current directions. As a school board, we will make a determination as to how to proceed in the process of filling the very large shoes which Dr. Atwater will leave. However, we know that the internal strength of the district and its employees is such that we will be able to find his replacement, get on a steady track, and move forward without hesitation. We certainly wish Dr. Atwater well and thank him for the contributions he made to our district.”
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