Updated on April 18.

Superintendents statewide are announcing their retirement, accepting new jobs, and tendering their resignations. 

The leadership shuffle in Idaho schools peaks each spring during prime hiring season, as trustees seek the most qualified candidates.  

EdNews tracks it all, and we’ll continue to update this story in the months to come. If you know of any openings or hires that we missed, let us know. 

April 18 update:

Mountain View

Taking over: The position is currently unfilled.

Leaving: Kim Spacek, who is in his first school year as Mountain View’s superintendent, will depart this summer. He said trustees did not renew his contract: “The board wants to go in a different direction.”

For now, Spacek plans to return to Washington, where he previously lived. However, he said he’s open to returning to Idaho for another leadership position if one arises, partly because he’s impressed by the state’s career readiness opportunities and programs like Idaho Launch. “It’s all good stuff for kids,” he said.

Mountain View School District is asking voters to approve a two-year, $5.8 million supplemental levy in May, after voters have rejected four consecutive levies. School leaders have also discussed the possibility of deconsolidation, but Spacek said they’ve tabled that for now to focus on the election.

April 11 Update:

New Plymouth

Taking over: Wade Wilson has become the new leader at New Plymouth School District, according to the Argus Observer. Wilson was formerly the superintendent at Weiser School District before retiring last summer.

Leaving: Wilson replaces interim superintendent Wil Overgaard, who came out of retirement to take the position when former superintendent David Sotutu resigned last summer.

Garden Valley 

This update is about a former superintendent, Clete Edmunson, who stepped down from Council School District last June amid pending litigation and a school board investigation. At the time, Edmunson penned an op-ed reflecting on his tenure in the school district and his decision to retire. 

But his retirement didn’t last long. He soon took a job at a school in Slana, Alaska, and was recently hired as a principal for Garden Valley School District. He will begin his new role this summer, replacing current principal Steve Lynch. 

The leadership shift comes as Garden Valley has made headlines for systemic violations of federal special education law.

Parma

Leaving: Current Superintendent Stoney T. Winston will step down in June to take the helm at Fruitland School District. 

“It has been an honor and privilege to serve as the superintendent of this remarkable school district and as the middle school principal prior to that,” Winston wrote. “The journey has been filled with meaningful experiences, and I am proud of the progress we have made together.”

Taking over: A new superintendent has not yet been selected. 

Fruitland

Leaving: Current superintendent Lyle Bayley will retire this summer. 

Taking over: Stoney Winston, the current superintendent at Parma, will become Fruitland’s leader this summer.

“The Board greatly appreciates Mr. Bayley and his service to Fruitland School District and looks forward to a seamless transition to Mr. Winston,” Fruitland Board Chair Matt Frye wrote in a press release. 

North Gem 

Leaving: Current Superintendent Todd Shumway has accepted a position as an adjunct professor for Brigham Young University — Hawaii and will be moving to Auckland, New Zealand. In his new role, he’ll be “coordinating church schools throughout Oceania.”

Shumway will stay on at North Gem through the end of his contract in June. 

Taking over: Kyler Miller, currently a teacher in the Pocatello/Chubbuck School District, will become the North Gem superintendent this summer under an alternate authorization. Miller plans to begin a doctoral program and work toward earning his superintendent endorsement.

Mackay

Leaving: Christine Ivie, who took over last summer when Susan Buescher retired, resigned at the end of January. Buescher then stepped back in, and is currently serving as part-time superintendent. 

Last fall, Ivie was working as both the Mackay superintendent and the director of Heritage Academy in Jerome. She has previously made headlines for a defamation lawsuit against the Idaho Public Charter School Commission. That case is now nearing a settlement. 

Taking over: The superintendent position had previously been advertised. At the time of publication, it was unclear if a new leader had been selected, as multiple calls to the district went unanswered on Thursday. We will update this story if more information becomes available.    

March 7 Update:

Salmon

Chris Born, a history teacher at Salmon High, has taken over as the district’s interim superintendent after Troy Easterday abruptly resigned from the position in January. Born served as the district’s superintendent from 2015-2022. “I wanted to end my career on a really good note,” he said of returning to teaching in 2022. “I still like being in the classroom with kids; that’s still joyful to me. So I wanted to end my career having fun rather than running the school district.”

But for now, he’s back at the helm. He plans to retire this summer; trustees are actively seeking candidates for the position.

In a March 6 interview with EdNews, Easterday said he resigned due to “family health issues” and to be closer to his family in Hagerman. Easterday said he’d been discussing a possible resignation with trustees for months, and that he left on good terms with the Salmon school board.

Feb. 16 Update:

Kuna

Superintendent Wendy Johnson is moving on to an area director position with the Boise School District. She’ll stay on at Kuna until June 30, when Assistant Superintendent Kim Bekkedahl will take over as interim superintendent for the 2024-25 school year.

Feb. 8 Update:

Hagerman

Bill Hicks has been named interim superintendent for the rest of this school year, according to the district’s website. Hicks replaces former superintendent James Brown, who trustees dismissed after police investigated him for allegedly “showering nude in front of junior high and high school boys,” according to the Times-News’ Monica Carillo-Casas.

Council

Mike Howard is serving as the district’s interim superintendent this school year, after former superintendent Clete Edmunson resigned amid pending litigation and a school board investigation. Howard was formerly the superintendent at New Meadows; he retired last summer, then took the helm at Council.

Jan. 31 Update:

Boise 

Leaving: Superintendent Coby Dennis will retire this summer. 

Taking over: Longtime Boise educator Lisa Roberts, becoming the district’s first female superintendent. 

Fremont County

Leaving: Dave Marotz, who was serving as interim superintendent.

Taking over: Brandon Farris, who is currently the principal at Wyoming’s Clear Creek Middle School, will start as superintendent this summer. Originally from Jerome, Farris told EastIdahoNews.com that becoming a superintendent “is a dream come true.”

“Dr. Farris brings a wealth of experience and dedication to education, and we look forward to the positive impact he will make on our school district,” a district announcement read. 

South Lemhi

Leaving: Superintendent Kevin Ramsey will stay with the district, but take on a different role this summer. 

Taking over: The position is currently advertised on edjobsidaho.com. 

Valley

Leaving: Former Superintendent Jennifer Jacobson resigned in November following a disagreement with the board of trustees. Eric Anderson is acting as interim superintendent. 

Taking over: The position is currently advertised on edjobsidaho.com. 

Jerome

Leaving: Superintendent Pat Charlton will retire this summer. 

“I’ve been at this business for a long time, this is my 45th year in education and my 39th year as an administrator, and so I decided it’s probably time to start enjoying my grandkids and my family, and as well as some of my passions like skiing and so forth,” Charlton told kmvt.com.

Taking over: The position has not been filled yet. 

New Plymouth

Leaving: Superintendent David Sotutu resigned at the end of the 2022-2023 school year, according to argusobserver.com.

In his resignation letter, which was obtained by the Argus Observer, Sotutu cited Idaho’s political climate as a reason for leaving: “While our school district and community have been very supportive of our students and educators, the state of Idaho’s hostility towards public education is suffocating,” he wrote. 

Taking over: Wil Overgaard is the district’s interim superintendent, who came out of retirement to help. It’s the second time he’s done so, having previously come out of retirement to serve as interim superintendent at Buhl School District. 

He said his returns to leadership speak to the lack of qualified superintendents in Idaho: “There’s a shortage, there’s no question.”

On top of that, New Plymouth School District’s opening came after prime superintendent hiring season, which was a factor.

The position is now open again, and is being advertised on the Idaho School Boards Association website. 

Shelley

Leaving: Chad Williams will become the Idaho High School Activities Association’s executive director this summer, replacing Ty Jones, who will retire. 

“I look forward to the journey ahead and the positive impact we can make together,” he said in a press release. “My primary focus is on fostering relationships across Idaho, with the ultimate goal of offering students enriching opportunities for learning, personal growth, and excellence through extracurricular activities.”

Taking over: The position is currently advertised on edjobsidaho.com. 

Fruitland

Leaving: Current Superintendent Lyle Bailey will retire this summer.

Taking over: The position is currently advertised on the Idaho School Boards Association website. 

Idaho EdNews data analyst Randy Schrader contributed to this report.