KIRKWOOD — The superintendent of Kirkwood School District will retire in June 2025, five years after taking on the role.
David Ulrich came to the district in July 2020 from Colorado, where he was superintendent of the Moffat County School District. Ulrich was previously the principal at Lee’s Summit North High School and an administrator with the North Kansas City School District. His doctorate in educational leadership is from ºüÀêÊÓƵ University.
“Thanks to the dedication of our teachers and staff, engagement of our families, support of our community and the hard work of our students, Kirkwood stands among the best districts in the country,†Ulrich said in a statement released Friday. “I’m proud of the work we have achieved, and I look forward to using my remaining time as superintendent to continue to advance the goals of our strategic plan.â€
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Ulrich faced an immediate challenge in Kirkwood with the decision to start the 2020-2021 school year virtually during the pandemic. He also guided the district through an investigation of students’ claims of sexual abuse by multiple staff members starting in the 1970s. In 2022, Ulrich oversaw the relocation of the district’s central offices to the historically Black neighborhood of Meacham Park, a peace offering and acknowledgment of the history of racism in Kirkwood and segregation in schools.
Last year, Ulrich made $250,213 to lead the 5,800-student district. Kirkwood ranks second in the region behind Brentwood and 11th out of more than 500 school districts in Missouri for test scores, graduation rate and other performance measures. The school board will begin a national search for the district’s next superintendent, according to the press release.
"We are thankful to Dr. Ulrich for giving the Board of Education plenty of time to initiate a search for Kirkwood School District’s next superintendent. Since 2020, he has led Kirkwood Schools with a sincere commitment to improving outcomes for students, and we look forward to working with him over the next 15 months," said Nikole Shurn, school board president, in a statement. "We will work to keep staff, families and the public up to date on our process and the development of a leadership profile that contains the qualities, skills and characteristics desired for the next superintendent of the Kirkwood School District."