Lee’s Summit R-7 School District named Dr. Dennis L. Carpenter as the new superintendent for the 2017-2018 school year on Monday.
This comes after David McGehee, the previous superintendent, resigned June 30 after disputes over his high-paying contract. The contract paid him more than $400,000 per year, making him the highest paid superintendent in Missouri.
Carpenter has 21 years experience in education and has been superintendent at Hickman Mills School District since 2013.
"The urgency should be around developing a community goal for greatness. Things we can display not just on the local and state level, but on the national level," said Carpenter.
Months after the controversy involving McGehee, Carpenter said one of his biggest goals after filling the superintendent position will be being more transparent with the community.
"Everyone has the best interests of the students at heart, but how we go about it gets us off track," he explained. "That's why communication and transparency are so important."
Lee's Summit School Board members say Carpenter is a strong choice.
During the search, school board member Bill Baird said the district interviewed multiple candidates and received input from various groups.
"This process was all about the community," he said. "We talked to stakeholders, parents, teachers, staff, and board members. Anything that was available to us we did it. We took our time. We got everyone involved. We had meeting after meeting."
Baird, who became an outspoken opponent of McGehee during the controversy last year, pointed to test scores, attendance and graduation rates at Hickman Mills all going up over the past three years during Carpenter's watch.
"We're talking someone who makes a difference for the school district," said Baird.
The group "Citizens for a Better LSR7" posted a congratulations to Carpenter.
One of the group's organizers, Pam Hatcher, said members of the group helped offer input during the superintendent search.
"We were invited to different focus groups and informational sessions," she explained. "I think it was good to be able to get input from parents and the community, as well as businesses, on what was important to all of us so that it gave the feedback to the board members."
Carpenter's contract has not yet been negotiated. Lee's Summit board members and Carpenter are working to approve his contract by Jan. 19, according to a news release sent out by the district. He starts July 1.
The President of the HMC-1 Board of Education Darrell Curls sent 41 Action News the following statement:
“As a Board, we want to congratulate Dr. Carpenter on his plans to take the next step in his career. We are grateful to Dr. Carpenter for his four years of service to our district and its children. We have made significant progress under his leadership. Lee’s Summit is the recipient of a great leader who cares about all children. As the Board of Education formulates their plans for managing this transition, we are dedicated to keeping you informed of the process. Please look forward to additional information as it becomes available.”
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