Free State High principal to resign

Ed West, the principal of Lawrence Free State High School since the 2008-09 school year, will resign from his position to become the principal at Shawnee Heights High School in Topeka, pending school board approval.

“During the last seven years, Ed has developed a great rapport with staff, students and parents that has helped Free State High School to build upon its reputation for excellence,” Superintendent Rick Doll said in a news release. “He is a valued member of our administrative team and has served as a leader in our equity work, effecting positive change among his school community and districtwide.”

West will officially leave his post June 30. The Lawrence school district will immediately begin its search for a new principal, who will be the third in Free State’s history. The school opened in 1997.

Ed West.

“I have appreciated the opportunities afforded me by the Lawrence Public Schools,” West said in a statement. “It has been an honor to be a part of this cohesive learning community, where students, staff and parents truly value education. Accepting this new challenge was definitely a bittersweet decision for me, because I am passionate about Lawrence Free State High School.”

Prior to arriving at Free State, West served four years as principal of Jefferson West High School in Meriden, five years as principal at St. Marys High School in St. Marys and three years as assistant principal at Hutchinson High School in Hutchinson.

He also taught math and coached basketball, cross country and track at Washburn Rural High School in Topeka in the 1990s.