The next principal at Free State High School is described as a man who can understand complex issues while connecting with students, parents and staff.

On Monday, school Superintendent Randy Weseman announced he’d chosen Ed West, 41, as Free State’s new principal. Since 2004, West has been principal at Jefferson West High School in Meriden.

Next Monday, school board members are expected to officially approve West’s hiring.

People involved in the interview process said West displayed passion and had done extensive research about Free State, a 1,200-student school. About 350 students attend Jefferson West.

“I felt like all groups of students were going to be reached and not left out,” said Jane Rock, a family and consumer sciences teacher.

Rock was one of 14 Free State staff members who interviewed four finalists for the job.

If he’s approved, West will replace Free State’s first and only principal, Joe Snyder, who announced in February he would retire at the end of the year.

“When I saw that that opening (at Free State) was posted, I got a little adrenaline rush there,” West said Monday from his office at Jefferson West High School.

West said his first challenge would be to understand the school’s climate and culture.

“Obviously it’s a great place to be already. That happened before I came,” he said.

The search

The principal search moved quickly after the district received 14 applications at the end of March. Last week, administrators put four candidates before panels of teachers, students and parents who conducted interviews. They then gave feedback to Weseman.

Weseman said West brings impressive academic credentials and strong interpersonal skills. His work with analyzing data and helping put it into practice at schools – a critical skill – was another apparent factor.

“At the same time, you don’t want to hire just a statistician. You want to hire somebody who can work with people and can engage people, and who has those kind of leadership qualities,” Weseman said.

All four finalists showed promise, but West was the best fit for Free State, he said.

“It’s always a match-up for me. It’s finding the right match,” Weseman said.

A first impression

Teachers, parents and students involved in the interviews said they appreciated West’s energy. He also stressed that he would visit classrooms often as principal.

“He made it very clear how he’s going to make that one-on-one connection with each student and be involved with each student’s academic career,” said Free State sophomore Christina Picicci, one of 10 juniors and sophomores to interview candidates.

A panel of parents was impressed with his emphasis on helping students all over the academic spectrum, including working on career and technical education. He also has shown support for the fine arts.

“He’s done great things in the four years that he’s been (at Jefferson West),” said Sally Hare-Schriner, chairwoman of Free State’s site council.

West also discussed with the interview panels his philosophy of reaching out to students and getting feedback from parents and the community.

“He’s really all about helping all students as much as he can,” said Free State second-year history teacher Jason Springer.

West’s current boss predicted success for him at his next stop.

“He’s an exceptional leader, very academic-oriented and kid-oriented. He really stresses the concept of rigor and maintaining high expectations,” said Scott Myers, superintendent of the Jefferson West school district.

West’s background

West lives in Topeka with his wife, Cheryl, and their three children. He said he would likely commute to Lawrence for the first couple of years before moving here, and it would give two of his children an opportunity to finish high school at Jefferson West.

He is finishing his dissertation for his doctorate in education from Kansas State University.

West has no direct Lawrence connections, but he was looking to become an administrator in a 6A district. He has served as an assistant principal in Hutchinson and teacher and coach at Washburn Rural High School.

“I knew what that experience was like, and I really enjoyed the pace and the challenges,” West said.