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

De Soto ? The De Soto USD 232 Board of Education on Monday extended an offer of appointment for its next superintendent, and the offer was accepted Tuesday morning.

After a 30-minute executive session, the board unanimously approved extension of an offer to Frank Harwood, currently a superintendent in Bellevue, Neb., effective July 1, 2016. After the meeting, Alvie Cater, district spokesman, explained that it wouldn’t become official until Harwood was released from his current contract and accepted the district’s offer; the district got word Tuesday morning that the offer had been accepted.

Harwood has held his current position in Nebraska for five years, overseeing a district with 20 schools and more than 10,000 students, making it the fifth-largest district in the state.

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

The De Soto district includes 12 schools and more than 7,000 students.

Cater said of the 31 applicants for the position, the board interviewed eight, and Harwood quickly “rose to the top” of the board’s list.

“Naming a superintendent is one of the most important decisions the board will ever make,” Angela Handy, board president, said in a news release. “We believe in Mr. Harwood and are confident he will provide the superior leadership essential to the future success of our school system.”

Prior to taking his position in Nebraska, Harwood spent two years as chief operations officer for the Lawrence school district, managing finance, human resources, facilities, maintenance, food service, transportation and technology.

Harwood’s career in education began in 1993 at Perry-Lecompton High School, then serving as an assistant principal at Leavenworth High School before becoming principal of Lawrence’s Central Junior High in 2005. He moved to the Lawrence district’s administrative office in 2008 as director of technology.

Harwood earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Kansas University and has been pursuing a doctorate in education through the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He also has completed the Midwest Superintendent’s Academy, a 10-month program designed by the University of Nebraska.

Harwood and his wife have two grown children, both of whom still live in Lawrence. Cater said Harwood was seeking a position in Kansas in order to be closer to family.

“I am very honored and excited to become a part of the USD 232 school district and community,” Harwood said in the district’s news release. “USD 232’s reputation for excellence is well known throughout the state and the region and I am so proud to help continue that tradition.”

Harwood will work with Interim Superintendent Ron Wimmer over the next several weeks to provide a smooth transition of leadership.