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Alexa Cunningham will claim the top job in Salt Lake City School District this July after a unanimous vote by the district's school board Monday night.
Cunningham is the superintendent of the Tolleson Union High School District in Arizona, and she was among three finalists for the job of Salt Lake City School District superintendent.
She was not present at Monday's school board meeting, during which board members praised her qualifications and the input from community members that led to their decision.
"I feel more and more confident as time goes on that for many reasons, Dr. Cunningham is the right person to lead our district now," school board member Melissa Ford said.
Cunningham is expected to begin her term as superintendent on July 1, replacing McKell Withers, who announced his retirement in August after 13 years in the post.
Cunningham and the other two superintendent finalists, Rhonda Carr and Krish Mohip, visited the district last week for a series of school visits, community forums and final interviews with the board.
Board member Katherine Kennedy said that after Cunningham visited the district's high schools, those principals were unanimously in favor of Cunningham's selection as superintendent.
"They saw Dr. Cunningham as someone who could stand up and help them lead their schools," She said.
But the board's president, Heather Bennett, and board member Michael Clara said their first choice for the position was Mohip, an administrator in the Chicago Public Schools system.
Clara has publicly sparred with his board colleagues, including Bennett, in recent years, leading to lawsuits, complaints and a period in which Clara dressed as the "Frito Bandito" during board meetings as a statement against racial discrimination in the district.
Several board members mentioned the board's dysfunction during Monday's meeting, while adding that the search for a new superintendent had led to productive and collaborative discussion.
Clara said that while Cunningham was not his preferred choice, he would support her selection "in the spirit of compromise."
"I don't think, as a district, we're going to suffer by having Dr. Cunningham here," he said, "and I'm looking forward to supporting her as superintendent."
Board member Kristi Swett said the district often has "a target on [its] back" as a result of its location in the state's capital.
She said Cunningham had the political experience to take on the challenges of a sometimes dysfunctional school board and pressures from the Utah Legislature.
"She is going to be a very proactive, not reactive, superintendent," Swett said. "I hope you will see a new [school] board because we are committed to supporting Dr. Cunningham and moving the district forward," Swett said.
In a prepared statement, Cunningham said the position of Salt Lake City's school superintendent is an exciting opportunity for her to scale the successes she had in Arizona and to make a difference in the lives of students, staff, parents and the community.
"My vision is to provide all students with quality instruction and real-world experiences in order to prepare them to compete and prosper in a global economy," she said.
Twitter: @bjaminwood