Frank Harwood, a former Lawrence school district employee and Kansas University grad, has been offered the position of superintendent of De Soto schools.

The Lawrence school district’s chief operations officer is leaving for a superintendent’s job in Nebraska.

Frank Harwood accepted the top administrative job in the Bellevue school district Saturday. He was one of five finalists.

Harwood, who had interviewed Wednesday, will be leaving the Lawrence district after six years.

“It’s bittersweet,” Harwood said. “I’m leaving a great district.”

Harwood has been the Lawrence district’s chief operations officer since 2009 and oversees finance, human relations, facilities, maintenance, food service, transportation and technology for an organization with 10,500 students, 950 teachers, 1,600 total employees and 22 school buildings. He also leads the district’s negotiating team in talks with the Lawrence Education Association for a new master work agreement.

He started his education career in 1993 as a science teacher at Perry-Lecompton High School, before serving as an assistant principal at Leavenworth High School. In 2005 he became principal at Central Junior High School in Lawrence, then moved to the district office in 2008 as director of technology.

The Bellevue district, with 20 schools and just more than 10,000 students, is the fourth-largest school district in Nebraska. Bellevue is an Omaha suburb where Harwood’s wife, Jamie, graduated from Bellevue East High School.

Harwood said he was still working out details for a contract. No start date for the new job has been set.