Keller ISD Superintendent Accepts New Job In Arizona
Updated 3/28 9:40 p.m.
KELLER (CBSDFW.COM) - The Keller Independent School District is in need of a new leader.
Tuesday night an Arizona school district announced that Dr. James Veitenheimer will take over as superintendent there.
Veitenheimer was among three finalists for the position with the Deer Valley Unified School District, which includes schools in Phoenix and Glendale.
In a Keller ISD press release, Dr. Veitenheimer said he hadn't been shopping around for a new job.
"This opportunity presented itself and I decided to take a look," he said. "This was not something I was seeking, nor was it a long, drawn-out interview process requiring months of travel and planning."
Veitenheimer has been the Keller ISD superintendent since 2004. During his tenure new student enrollment has increased by nearly 10,000 and the district has opened 14 new campuses.
Now Keller ISD administrators, like those in several other North Texas cities, will begin the process of finding a new superintendent.
"We will not tie ourselves to a deadline," explained Keller ISD Board Of Trustees President Kevin Stevenson. He went on to say the Board's priority is to find the right person to take over the district's leadership role.
Parents say they want to be involved with the search for their new superintendent.
Parent Nicole Jeanes said she wants "someone who puts the children first instead of the testing." Parent Ceryl Brociek said she hopes the district hires "somebody with a great heart who is going to be good for my kids."
Keller ISD officials say they'll formally begin the search in April. Dr. Veitenheimer makes $250,000 in Keller ISD's top job.
Though specifics of his contract in Arizona were not available, district officials say the previous superintendent had a base salary of $180,00.
According to an announcement on the Keller website, Dr. Veitenheimer will begin his new job in Arizona on July 1.
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