Kansas City, Kansas, school district names its first Black female superintendent
Anna Stubblefield, deputy superintendent for Lawrence Public Schools, will be the Kansas City, Kansas, school district’s next superintendent.
She will be the first Black woman to serve as KCK’s superintendent.
The school board on Friday afternoon unanimously approved hiring Stubblefield, who will take over as superintendent on July 1. She will work under a three-year contract with an annual base salary of $235,000.
Stubblefield replaces former superintendent Charles Foust, who resigned last July after two years in the district to accept a position as superintendent of New Hanover County Schools in Wilmington, North Carolina. Alicia Miguel was selected as interim superintendent shortly after.
“I’m excited about leading KCKPS, and I am just grateful for this opportunity,” Stubblefield said during Friday’s meeting. “I really appreciate the board in trusting our over 22,000 students under my care with the team that’s already here in place. I look forward to reaching out to the community and working collaboratively with our students, our staff and our community members to really charter our way so that we are reaching that vision of being one of the top 10 school districts in the country.”
The district hired Texas-based JG Consulting firm to conduct the national superintendent search, which began in November. Stubblefield was selected from a pool of 21 candidates, which was narrowed down to three finalists, according to a news release.
The school board hosted four virtual town hall meetings in January, and asked for public input through an online survey, which received nearly 250 responses.
Stubblefield has served as the deputy superintendent for the Lawrence district since 2018, after serving as interim superintendent the year prior. In her current role, she oversees human resources, special education and student services, curriculum and instruction, as well as Lawrence’s virtual school.
She also has overseen the district’s equity work.
She began her career in education as a teacher, coach and assistant principal in the Blue Valley and Center school districts. She also has served as Lawrence’s assistant superintendent and director of human resources.
“We are truly excited about the hiring of Dr. Stubblefield and look forward to the experience and leadership she will bring to our school district and community,” said school board president Randy Lopez, in the release. “She brings a wealth of invaluable knowledge in the areas of school improvement and organizational change, which will be vital during this time of transition.”
Stubblefield has earned a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees from the University of Kansas, an education specialist’s degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a doctoral degree from Saint Louis University.
She also serves as an adjunct instructor for the University of Kansas and Baker University. She and her husband, David, have three sons.
