photo by: Lawrence school district

Quentin Rials

Two interim principals in the Lawrence school district have been promoted to principal positions: Quentin Rials at Lawrence High School and Zach Harwood at Lawrence Virtual School.

Superintendent Anthony Lewis named both administrators interim principals last summer.

photo by: Lawrence school district

Zach Harwood

“I am pleased with the strong dedication and commitment Dr. Rials and Mr. Harwood have shown and the many positive contributions they have already made to their respective school communities. District administration met with the staff of both schools and received positive feedback about their leadership,” Lewis said in a news release Monday evening.

Rials is an alumnus of Lawrence High, class of 1995. He led West Middle School as interim principal last year and previously served four years as assistant principal at LHS and two years as a learning coach at West.

Prior to joining the district, he served five years as a math teacher and coach in Fort Worth, Texas. He also worked as an attorney in private practice for six years. Rials earned a bachelor’s degree at Baker University, a law degree at Washburn University and a master’s degree at the University of Kansas, where he is a doctoral candidate.

“Our goals at LHS center around making sure each student is prepared to be successful in college or their career when they graduate,” Rials said in the release. “I look forward to continuing to work with the excellent staff at LHS to put processes and procedures in place to ensure all students are future-ready and aware of their options before they graduate so they can make choices that best suit their needs.”

Harwood taught science at Billy Mills Middle School in Lawrence from 2013 to 2019 before serving as an assistant principal and athletic director for three years for schools in Carbondale and Olathe and as the organizational excellence coordinator for Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center in 2022. He earned a bachelor’s degree at KU and a master’s at Baker University.

“I am thrilled to continue the work we have started at LVS,” Harwood said in the release. “The students, staff, and families have been incredibly welcoming, and I am excited about the great things happening here.”