photo by: Contributed

Jeanice Swift

The Lawrence school district announced its last finalist for the interim superintendent role, a former superintendent from the Ann Arbor public schools in Michigan.

The Lawrence school board announced that Jeanice Swift is the third and final person it is considering for the position, and she will be interviewed during a special meeting on Thursday. The interview will occur in a closed executive session and will not be accessible to the public. The district does not expect to take any action or make any decisions immediately following the interview. After the interview, the school board will review and discuss all three finalists as part of a separate, closed-door executive session.

Along with Swift, there are two others being considered for the position: Thomas Ahart, a former superintendent from Des Moines, Iowa, and current Lawrence deputy superintendent Larry Englebrick.

School board members are seeking an interim superintendent for the upcoming school year after Superintendent Anthony Lewis resigned to take a superintendent position in North Carolina, effective early August. The interim superintendent is anticipated to serve until July 2025, by which time the board plans to have appointed a new permanent superintendent to lead the district.

With 36 years of experience in education, Swift has been an educational leadership consultant since January, assisting PreK-12 leaders, leadership teams, and board trustees. She previously held the position of superintendent for Ann Arbor Public Schools for almost ten years.

Before her tenure in Ann Arbor, she spent 25 years with Colorado Springs School District 11, holding roles such as assistant superintendent, executive director, principal, assistant principal, resource coach, and secondary English and Spanish teacher. Swift earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Arlington, her master’s degree from the University of Colorado and her doctorate from the University of Denver.

“I am excited to explore the Lawrence community during this visit because there is no substitute for face-to-face engagement and conversation,” Swift said in a news release. “The opportunity to continue and deepen the work to serve students well, to support the Lawrence team, to engage with families and community — working together to ensure a quality educational experience for every child, every day — is what drives my interest in this position.”

The news release said that during her time with Ann Arbor schools, Swift emphasized equity, student opportunities and achievement, fiscal responsibility and community engagement, and that the district achieved higher graduation rates for vulnerable students and decreased disciplinary incidents.

In 2018, the Michigan Association of School Administrators honored Swift as its Superintendent of the Year. Additionally, the National School Public Relations Association named her a Superintendent to Watch.

“The board was impressed by Dr. Swift’s work in Ann Arbor and her career-long dedication to helping students overcome challenges to find success in school and in life,” said school board President Kelly Jones in a news release. “We look forward to introducing her to some of the incredible people in our district and community during her visit. This visit will also give us the opportunity to learn more about her vision for a year of transitional leadership that engages and supports everyone who makes up Lawrence Public Schools.”

The search for an interim superintendent began at the end of June following Lewis’ announcement that he would be stepping down. Lewis, who has served as superintendent since 2018, will be succeeded by an interim leader. The board interviewed Englebrick on Monday and was scheduled to interview Ahart on Wednesday for the role.

The special meeting will be held Thursday at the district offices, 110 McDonald Drive, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The meeting will also be available on the school district’s YouTube channel.

At the meeting, the school board will also consider approving certified and classified staff salary increases after negotiations with the Lawrence Education Association and PAL-CWA. The board will review the superintendent’s recommended 4.077% increase to the administrative salary pool, which totals $245,520. This increase will allow the district to finalize compensation packages for all employees for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.

As the Journal-World reported, the Lawrence school board ratified a tentative agreement on July 22 with the certified employees’ salary pool increasing by $1,920,218, which includes a $1,400 increase to their base salary. Additionally, on Sunday, the board approved an increase of $1,086,912 to the classified staff’s salary pool.