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Kent ISD Board suspends superintendent search

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Posted at 4:57 PM, Apr 01, 2021
and last updated 2021-04-01 16:57:38-04

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Kent ISD announced their decision to suspend the search for a superintendent today in a press release. The ISD School Board asked the interim Superintendent Ron Koehler to remain until the return to “some sense of normalcy”.

"This pandemic has stressed us all, but few have been impacted as much as educators and educational leadership," Haidle said. "We received just 13 applications for what is widely viewed as one of the premier education leadership positions in the state. One of our primary goals was a diverse pool of candidates, yet those we received were not diverse.” While we thank the search consultants for their work in this process, we have to believe the unusual times in which we are operating had an impact on the number of candidates who applied.

Before taking the interim position in Jan. 2021, Koehler committed to remain as superintendent until the board found permanent leadership.

Koehler agreed at the start of his position in January to remain the superintendent until the board found permanent leadership.

"Our staff deserve a well-known and welcome leader during this time as we work toward a sense of normalcy,” said Haidle. Koehler worked at Kent ISD for 23 years, more than half of that time as an assistant superintendent, before retiring in 2019.