Superintendent Search - Summit School District

“The Board of Education is thrilled to select Dr. Tony Byrd as Summit School District’s new Superintendent,” shared Kate Hudnut, Board president. “He brings a wealth of academic and leadership expertise, compassion and insight that will benefit the growth of students, staff and the greater Summit County community. He models the attributes of a lifelong learner and the priorities outlined in our Graduate Profile.”

Summit School District Superintendent Finalist Selection Announced

Summit School District announced the selection of Dr. Tony Byrd to become the next Superintendent. During a public Board meeting on Tuesday, March 15, the Board of Education discussed candidates’ interviews and observations of their strengths and compatibility with the District.

Dr. Byrd’s expansive experience models SSD’s Graduate Profile and is aligned with the Strategic Plan focus areas: Academic & Personal Success, Equity Seeking Systems and Family & Community Partnerships.

Dr. Byrd possesses a strong history of academic advancement and success as the associate superintendent of curriculum and assessment of Everett Washington Public Schools, assistant superintendent of student learning in Edmonds Washington School District and extensive experience in the nonprofit sector.

Throughout his interviews with community stakeholders and the Board of Education, Dr. Byrd emphasized the importance of relationships, his experience in instructional leadership, and a commitment to strategic partnerships which unify the community for the overall wellness of students, teachers and staff.

Pending contract acceptance and Board of Education approval on March 24, 2022, Dr. Tony Byrd could begin his new role in Summit County on July 1, 2022.

Timeline

In person interviews are scheduled to be conducted on March 10 and 11 with the Board of Education and community stakeholder groups. The Board intends to make the final superintendent selection by March 15, 2022.

The tentative timeline is as follows:

March 10: Community Stakeholder Committee Interviews - 4:00 pm to 8 pm

March 11: Board of Education Candidate Interviews & Stakeholder Feedback Discussion - 9 am to approx. 4:00 pm

March 15: Discussion of finalists and vote on the selection of final candidate - 6:15 pm to 9:15 pm

March 15 - 22: Contract negotiation with anticipated Superintendent

March 24: Vote on 2022-23 Superintendent Contract

July 1, 2022: Superintendent Start Date

The Position

Summit School District is seeking a highly qualified and experienced leader to serve as the next Superintendent of Schools. The Board wishes to have the successful candidate assume the responsibilities of the position July 1, 2022.

McPherson & Jacobson, L.L.C., Executive Recruitment and Development, in association with the Colorado Association of School Boards, has been engaged as the consultant in a search for outstanding candidates. They will assist the Board of Education in identifying and screening the candidates. The Qualifications The candidate must have the background, skills, and abilities essential for excellence in educational leadership. The Board recognizes that selecting a superintendent is one of the most important decisions it will make. The Board developed the following desired characteristics.

• Has demonstrated effective organizational leadership by listening, supporting, and empowering others to build a systemic culture of learning that strives to serve the whole child.

• Is personable, humble, reflective, and knows how to build consensus toward measurable results. • Is inclusive, culturally competent, and a champion for equitable systems and opportunities for all staff and students.

• Embraces the academic, cultural, and social diversity of the Summit School District and models that meeting the needs of all staff and students is a top priority.

• Has demonstrated courageous leadership and is willing to face hard conversations in support of public education and the mission of the Summit School District.

• Is a competent fiscal agent who is committed to transparency and is a life-long learner who thrives on continuous improvement.

• Embraces the responsibility of being the face of the school district and is visible in both the schools and community, and accessible to all.

• Is an active listener, writes with clarity, speaks with passion, and embraces the full community of stakeholders.

• Is trustworthy, honest, charismatic, compassionate, and quickly earns the respect of the people they serve.

• Has the experience and demonstrated competence to lead implementation of the district’s new 5-year strategic plan.

• Bilingual (Spanish) proficiency preferred.

Salary: $175,000-210,000

See the full notice of vacancy brochure

The District

Nestled in the heart of the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountains, Summit School District provides excellence in public education to families in the diverse resort communities of Breckenridge, Dillon, Frisco and Silverthorne. Serving more than 3,500 students, it is our vision for Summit School District students, staff and community members to work together in an atmosphere of care and respect to offer each student an array of educational programs designed to foster his/her unique academic, vocational, and personal strengths. Our aim is to develop internationally minded people who help to create a better world. We believe in open communication with our stakeholders and appreciate community input. Involving our parents and community members in our schools is one strategy we have selected to support our student's development. We encourage all Summit County citizens to be involved in our schools in some way from volunteer opportunities in each school to serving on the Summit School District Board of Education.

Mission Statement

Summit School District creates a safe learning community in which each and every person belongs, grows and thrives.

View the SSD Strategic plan

District Website: summitk12.org
Type of district: K-12
Number of students: 3,647
Square miles of district: About 40. We serve the communities of Breckenridge, Blue River, Dillon, Keystone, Frisco, Heeney, Montezuma and Silverthorne.

Number of administrative staff: 4%
Number of certified teachers: 63%
Number of classified staff: 33%

Number of school buildings: 6 Elementary Schools, 1 Middle School, 1 High School, 1 School for Transformational Education - Middle and High School
Special programs: Gifted and talented; Optimists; STEM;, International Baccalaureate Years Program - District wide; Dual language program in 2 elementary, HS and MS; applied learning; outdoor education; No Place for Hate schools; blended learning

Partnerships: We have partnerships with Colorado Mountain College and Metro State University. The HS offers more than 30 college level courses across curriculum.

Extracurricular activities: Lacrosse, Soccer, Baseball, Track & Field, Speech & Debate, Skiing, Swim & Dive, Wrestling, Hockey, Basketball, Golf, Volleyball, Football, Soccer, Cross Country, Rugby, Knowledge Bowl

Assessed valuation: $2,441,567,490

Operating budget: $44,682,377

See the full notice of vacancy brochure

The Community

• Location: 75 miles west of Denver, close to I-70

• Population of the city: 31,000 - total population of Summit County which includes the towns of Breckenridge, Blue River, Dillon, Keystone, Frisco, Heeney, Montezuma and Silverthorne

• Major employers in the area: Vail Resorts, Summit County Government, St. Anthony's/Summit Medical Center, Breckenridge Grand Vacations, Copper Mountain Ski Area, Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, Climax Molybdenum Company, a subsidiary of Freeport-McMoRan

• Medical facilities: St. Anthony’s/Summit Medical Center

• Recreational activities: Many outdoor year round rec. activities - Golf, hiking, skiing, fishing, cross country skiing, biking, 2 town recreation centers, cross fit gyms, boating, kayaking, waterskiing, backpacking, camping

• Community activities/festivals: Summit County is filled with daily and weekend activities. There are so many of these opportunities for boundless fun that you can join in or simply attend one (or two or three) every week of the year. There are food celebrations, community events, arts, concerts, and events that celebrate the history of Summit County. With snow sports being one of the major draws to Summit County, annual events that celebrate all things frozen white stuff are popular: snow sculpting, snow events such as the USASA Nationals and the not-to-be-missed festival celebrating the God of Snow, Ullr. The summer is filled with events in every town celebrating bacon, wine and jazz, art and music events, mac and cheese, bluegrass and beer, the Cider Circus, and Oktoberfest festivals in the fall.

• League sports: Community sports such as baseball leagues, volleyball leagues, biking leagues

• Colleges or universities nearby: Colorado Mountain College

See the full notice of vacancy brochure