Adams submits resignation, Koester named interim superintendent  

After nearly four years in the role, USD 413 Superintendent Kellen Adams tendered his resignation during Monday night’s Board of Education meeting. 

Following a closed executive session, the board announced that Assistant Superintendent Matt Koester will become interim superintendent. Adams committed to remaining until the end of June, and Koester’s interim duties will begin July 1.

After interviewing for the Leavenworth superintendent post on March 1, that board approved Adams’ hire at their own BOE meeting Monday evening. Outside of selecting Koester for the interim role, there was no discussion by the board regarding Adams’ resignation. 

In his resignation letter, Adams said that he had mixed emotions about the move. 

“After much consideration, our family has decided to pursue other opportunities that will allow us to grow and develop professionally,” the letter read. 

Adams said that he is grateful for the encouragement and support offered by his colleagues. 

“I appreciate the opportunities that I have had to work with such a talented and dedicated team,” he wrote, adding that it’s an enjoyable place to educate students.

Adams believes the district is well-positioned to flourish in the coming years. 

“My steadfast belief is that the district’s best days have yet to arrive,” he wrote.

Adams previously told The Tribune that the Leavenworth school district will afford an opportunity for him to work in the same district as his wife, who currently teaches third grade in Humboldt. Adams’ contract with USD 413 contains a nepotism clause, precluding his wife from working for the district. 

“Corrina and I both prayed over this decision extensively,” Adams said. “It’s the only job I’ve applied for in four years.”

Adams assumed the reins of USD 413 on July 1, 2019. His tenure has largely been defined by decision making during the COVID-19 pandemic, districtwide budget cuts, and the ongoing transgender restroom controversy.  

Board reaction 

After the meeting, The Tribune spoke with board members Ross Hendrickson and Jeff Caldwell about the turn of events. 

“Kellen has done a nice job of improving the district across-the-board since day one. We don’t want to see him go, but it kind of comes with the territory,” Hendrickson said.

Adams did a commendable job of steering the district through COVID-19, Caldwell said.

“When you look at some of the issues and challenges that were thrown at Dr. Adams, they’re about as tough as you can get in that position,” he said.

Caldwell added that Adams’ organizational and politicking abilities made him well-equipped for the role.

“You have to be very good at those things to navigate the local community and environment,” he said. “I think Kellen has done an excellent job on a number of fronts and is leaving the district better than he found it. He has been a great leader for us.”

As the longest-tenured board member, Hendrickson said that such a move is not unusual, with Adams departing for a district roughly twice the size of USD 413. 

“We’ve always been supportive of superintendents that have wanted to make a vertical move,” he said. “Leavenworth is a really nice school district. I think it speaks well of USD 413 that our superintendent is going there.” 

Caldwell was also pleased with the leadership exhibited by Adams over the past three and a half years. 

“It’s always been the board’s practice and philosophy to hire the very best person we can for a position, and I think we’ve done that here,” he said. “When you do that, you’re setting yourself up for those people to move on to what they would view as career advancement in a bigger district.” 

Caldwell said that Adams’ imminent departure will not change the board’s philosophy when it comes to hiring its next superintendent. 

“It’s not a bad thing for Chanute that we’re hiring people that have upward mobility. It’s a compliment to Dr. Adams and USD 413 that other districts are wanting to come in and take our folks,” he said. 

Hendrickson noted the changing times, as superintendents seem to frequently be on the move. 

“Anymore, three to four years is pretty much the longevity of a superintendent,” he said. “Many years ago, you had superintendents that might stay for their entire career. For whatever reason, three to four years is kind of the norm today.”

Candidate search

As a Chanute High School alum who has been employed  with  the  district for  two decades, Koester could solve the district’s longevity riddle. Whether that gives him an inside track remains unknown.

“If you can find a great candidate that wants to stay for a long time, that would be a utopia,” Hendrickson said. 

Despite Koester’s burgeoning prospects, Hendrickson and Caldwell said that the board plans on casting a wide net in its search for superintendent. 

“We intend to go through a full search and have it be a rigorous process,” Hendrickson said. “At the end of that process, we expect to have another solid superintendent for our district.”

Caldwell agreed.

“I think we will come out with the best candidate. We’ve done it before and we will do it again,” he said. “We have a reputation and history of having a really solid administration.”

The candidate search may not wrap until fall, with a decision being made in November or December. Hendrickson explained that the timing of Adams’ resignation places the district on the outside looking in for its candidacy search. The pool of viable candidates will ideally be more plentiful over the fall months.

“We want to be on the front end of that, because right now we’re on the back end of it,” Hendrickson explained. “We’re going to do the interim (tag) until we get on the front end of it, so we can see the pool at the beginning and not the end.” 

Caldwell further elaborated. 

“Oftentimes, districts have already been searching for 60 to 90 days, and the candidates have already been chosen around this time of year,” he said. “The interim decision allows us to do a full search going forward after July 1.”

Koester

Hendrickson expressed optimism about the transition of power from Adams to Koester.  

“We’re not going to miss a beat from that perspective. I believe come July 1, the board will continue its good working partnership with Mr. Koester,” Hendrickson said. “We wouldn’t be asking Matt to serve in this interim role if we didn’t have full faith in his ability.”

Koester is pleased to have the opportunity. 

“It’s exciting for me, for sure. After visiting with Kellen, I’m excited for him also,” Koester said. 

Koester has been a man of many hats for the district. He was CHS’ interim principal for the 2020-21 school year, before transitioning back to the district office. With 11 years of administrative expertise, Koester was formerly a teacher in the district. 

“I’ve been able to work with some really high-quality people, administrators along the way,” he said. “That has certainly helped me prepare for this. I feel like I have the background and experience to make that transition pretty smoothly.” 

Koester ultimately intends to apply for the position.

“At this point in time I would absolutely say yes,” he said. “We’ll see how those first few months go, but I certainly will put my name in the hat for the official position.”

For Koester, there is no place like home. 

“Chanute is where I want to be. Whether it’s in that superintendent role, or in a different role that the district needs me to be in,” he said. “I truly believe in our district and our staff. I believe that we can become the best district in the state, and hope that I can do my part to help make that happen.”

Koester lauded Adams for his contributions to the district. 

“Our district was in a good place when Kellen arrived. I also think there were some things that he brought to the district to take us to the next level,” Koester said.

Adams has made facilities upgrades a focal-point of his tenure. He facilitated the purchase and renovation of the district’s central office headquarters — the crown jewel of this efforts.

“I think Kellen accomplished all of that while keeping us in a place where our finances are still very solid,” Koester said. “I do think he’s leaving the district in a better place than he found it and has continued to advance our district.”

Adams offered Koester a ringing endorsement. 

“I’m 150 percent confident in his abilities,” Adams said, noting that the board made a wise decision. “It’s nice knowing that he will be in there July 1 and we aren’t waiting for a search process to wrap up. That helps tremendously in the transition and was a really critical decision made by the board.” 

See Thursday’s edition of The Tribune for more from the meeting