The Hays Unified School District has announced that during a special meeting that will be held on Monday, Aug. 26, it will approve the contract for an interim superintendent of USD 489. The Board of Education has selected Dean Katt to fill the position.
Katt will begin his new post on Sept. 1. The USD 489 Board of Education chose to advertise regionally, using a consultant from the Kansas Association of School Boards, of which they are a member district. Working with KASB assured that the vacancy would be posted regionally which helped adhere to a short timeline and ensure that the process would move quickly and smoothly.
The Board received a number of applicants from around the state of Kansas; in which they chose to interview five on Aug 9.
Katt is a Kansas native, growing up in Ellis and graduating from Alma (KS) High School.
He received his BS in Education in 1982 and his Master’s in Education Administration in 1992 from FHSU. Katt was a teacher for seven years in Deerfield and has served as a high school principal for 10 years in Holcomb, eventually stepping into the role of Superintendent of Schools for USD 466 (Scott City) and most recently USD 290 (Ottawa) for the past 11 years.
“We had a strong pool of candidates and the interviews (on Aug. 9) were all very positive,” board president Greg Schwartz said. “We are very pleased that Mr. Katt has accepted this position. His previous experiences, vision for the future, and enthusiasm will ensure that the Hays Unified School District will continue to be amongst the best in the state.”
The contract will begin on September 1, 2013 and continue through Sept. 30, 2014.
This agreement may be terminated at any time by either party for any reason after May 31, 2014, upon 30 days written notice.