Kady Carson has been selected to lead West Middle School as its principal pending approval from the school board.

The Billy Mills Middle School assistant principal and athletics director has been named as principal of West Middle School, pending approval by the Lawrence school board.

The school district announced Monday that Superintendent Anthony Lewis had selected Kady Carson as the new leader of West, effective July 1.

Carson is currently in her third year in her position at Billy Mills. She will take over for interim principal Therese Edgecomb.

“Kady is an enthusiastic, student-centered, and collaborative building leader,” Lewis said in a news release. “Among her many strengths are communication and using data to drive decision making. She understands that high expectations and high levels of support for positive student behaviors are foundational for learning. Kady has been part of a team at Billy Mills that has reduced behavior referrals, which are barriers to learning.”

Prior to joining the Lawrence district, Carson taught middle school math and robotics and coached volleyball for seven years in the Ottawa district. The Ottawa school district nominated her to the Kansas State Department of Education’s Kansas Horizon Award (2016) and Kansas Teacher of the Year (2019) recognition programs for outstanding teaching. She earned a bachelor’s degree at Emporia State and her master’s at the University of Kansas.

“I am incredibly excited to lead West Middle School. I love the Lawrence community and can’t wait to foster a collaborative culture and build trust among students, staff, and families,” Carson said in the release. “I will work to create a foundation where every member of the school community feels valued and empowered to contribute to our shared success.”

West Middle School serves approximately 687 students in grades 6-8 at 2700 Harvard Road.