Anna Stubblefield

The Lawrence school board on Tuesday voted unanimously to appoint Anna Stubblefield as interim superintendent of the Lawrence district.

Stubblefield, the district’s current assistant superintendent of educational support and equity, will take on her new role July 1, the same day she is expected to transfer to deputy superintendent. The school board approved Stubblefield’s appointment to that position last month.

Anna Stubblefield

Diane DeBacker, a former teacher and administrator who served as Kansas education commissioner from 2010 to 2014, was also considered for the interim superintendent spot.

“The board deliberated today between two very capable and impressive candidates to serve our district’s need for an interim superintendent this coming school year, and are pleased to announce Dr. Anna Stubblefield as our top choice,” school board president Marcel Harmon said in a statement Tuesday. “We are confident Anna is the right person to lead our district as we continue focusing on our equity work, personalized learning and continued district excellence.”

As an assistant superintendent, Stubblefield has overseen the district’s teaching and learning division, as well as the district’s ongoing equity work. Prior to joining Lawrence Public Schools during the 2007-2008 school year, Stubblefield served as a middle school assistant principal in the Blue Valley district and as a special education and English teacher, department chair and coach in Kansas City’s Center school district.

In Lawrence, she served for four years as principal of Liberty Memorial Central Middle School before moving to the district offices, where she also served four years as division director of human resources.

Originally from Kansas City, Mo., Stubblefield holds a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees from the University of Kansas, an education specialist’s degree from the University of Missouri at Kansas City and a doctoral degree from Saint Louis University.

“Anna has been a strong leader in our district for nine years, working collaboratively with administrators, teachers and classified employees to create a culture in which student learning is the focus,” Harmon said Tuesday after spending more than three hours in executive session with the board.

A search for the next superintendent will begin in the fall, with plans to announce current superintendent Kyle Hayden’s replacement by February 2018. Hayden plans to transition to his new role of chief operations officer July 1.

As interim superintendent, Stubblefield will earn an annual salary of $205,000, a figure the school board will vote to approve at its Monday meeting. Her contract, pending board approval, will last one year. Hayden also makes $205,000 as superintendent, and will earn $150,000 as COO. In her interim superintendent role, Stubblefield will earn substantially more than her current salary of $116,051.

Stubblefield, who could not be reached for comment immediately after the board’s announcement Tuesday, told the Journal-World last week that she wasn’t interested in applying for Hayden’s superintendent position, indicating she felt better suited to her current role.

“I enjoy what I’m doing right now, and this is what’s right for me,” Stubblefield told the Journal-World last Tuesday. “But on an interim basis, I absolutely do feel like I could step up and fill the gap while we look for the next superintendent.”