The Juneau School Board selected Shawn Arnold to be the district’s next superintendent. He was one of three finalists for the position and the only current district employee.
Arnold has worked in the district since 2021. He’s the principal at Thunder Mountain Middle School after previously serving as principal of Thunder Mountain High School, as well as the student services director for the district.
Prior to his work in Juneau, Arnold served as superintendent in Valdez and Nome. He was also an administrator in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District.
School Board President Britteny Cioni-Haywood said the board chose Arnold because of his experience and knowledge within the district.
“We really feel that he’ll be a strong supporter for all of our schools and our students, and will work hard to build trust and collaboration across the district,” she said.
The other two finalists were Carlee Simon and Kevin Shipley. Simon is a former dean of education for the University of Alaska Southeast. She used to be the superintendent of Alachua County Public Schools in Florida from 2020 to 2022, and was previously a finalist for the Juneau superintendent position in 2023.
Kevin Shipley is the superintendent of Evadale Independent School District in Texas. Shipley worked in Alaska as the Kake City School District superintendent from 2012 to 2017. He was also a former education director of Sealaska Heritage Institute.
In a press release from the school district, Arnold said, “I look forward to working alongside our staff, families, and community partners to build on the many strengths already present in our schools while continuing to create opportunities for every student to thrive.”
Following an executive session of the full school board on Tuesday afternoon, Cioni-Haywood said she will begin negotiating a contract with Arnold soon. If he accepts the position, Arnold’s first day is expected to be July 1.
Current Juneau superintendent Frank Hauser announced his resignation in October. His last day is June 30, which will cap three years leading the district.
