A process that began a year ago came to an end for the satisfied members of the Board of Education as they appointed Karen List as Superintendent of West Hartford Public Schools this past Thursday.
List is the first female ever appointed to the position and will replace Dr. David Sklarz, leaving after 14 years of service to the school district, beginning on July 1.
"She's going to bring all the things that are a hallmark of Karen," Board chairman Terry Schmitt. "She will bring an incredible amount of devotion, an incredible amount of intelligence and attention to every single person.
"Karen and I go back a long way. She was the principal for all of my children at Smith School. On the very first day of school, she was at the door, greeting all of the kindergarten students by name. The point is, she understood how important that is. That's the kind of energy level she's going to bring."
List has served the school district for 27 years as an administrator, including eight years currently as Assistant Superintendent. As members of the board commented, List stood out in every aspect of the interview process.
"Karen, to me at least, demonstrated a great understanding and a great vision for how to improve student achievement more so than any of the other candidates," Board member Bruce Putterman said. "Karen's passion for children, her commitment to building and sustaining relationships with faculty and staff and her work ethic were all big factors in our decision to select Karen as our superintendent."
"I think the town is very lucky to have her," Board member Lib Brassil Spinella added. "I'm very proud that Karen will be a leader and a good one for West Hartford."
When the final vote unanimously passed the appointment, List acknowledged a standing ovation by those in attendance during the meeting.
"Everyone's been so gracious and so supportive," List said. "It's wonderful. I love this place. I could think of no greater honor than to serve as superintendent of schools."
She also acknowledged that she takes over the position during a tenuous economic time, where cuts are always a distinct possibility.
"I think what's important is that we keep in mind that this is a short term economic crisis, and we don't want to dismantle our schools for the long term," List said.
List's annual base salary was approved for $187,500, an amount the board noted was a competitive salary among other superintendent salaries.