Dr. Buck is the current superintendent of the Wright City R-II School District
| The Lee’s Summit R-7 Board of Education is excited to announce it has selected Dr. David Buck to serve as the district’s next superintendent. The Board voted to appoint Dr. Buck following a comprehensive search that began last fall and included candidate interviews with LSR7 school stakeholders. Dr. Buck, who has served as superintendent for the Wright City School District since 2015, will be formally introduced and welcomed into the LSR7 family at the Board of Education’s Jan. 23 meeting. His tenure begins on July 1 .Dr. Buck was selected as part of a national search aided by McPherson & Jacobson, a superintendent search firm based in Omaha, Neb. Feedback collected in online surveys and 17 stakeholder meetings, including four public engagement sessions, was used to guide the Board’s decision. Interview teams were made up of more than 80 parents, students, teachers, administrators, support staff and community members. “The Board of Education expressed a commitment to conducting a transparent and collaborative superintendent search process that prioritized community participation,” Board of Education President Julie Doane said. “The community asked us for a leader who will build unity throughout the district, continue and expand upon the equity work the district has already started, be a champion for our educators and lead other major LSR7 initiatives that promote student success. I’m proud of our process, and I believe Dr. Buck will do great things for LSR7.” In addition to his five years of service as superintendent, Dr. Buck spent seven years as assistant superintendent for the Wright City School District, located approximately 40 miles west of St. Louis, Mo. He is one of four Missourians to complete the National Superintendent Certification from the American Association of School Administrators. He also has participated in Yale University’s Emotional Intelligence RULER Certification. Dr. Buck believes in “proactive and collaborative” leadership and that the core mission of schools must be to meet the diverse needs of students. He emphasized that addressing the safety, health and social needs of students is a key part of ensuring all kids have access to an excellent education. “My personal mission is that every kid grows up to be an adult we all would be proud to call a neighbor,” Dr. Buck said. “I’m excited about being part of LSR7’s mission to do just that.” Dr. Buck is committed to implementing and growing the district’s February 2019-approved equity plan to remove barriers for LSR7 students. He plans to visit the district on Thursday, Jan. 16 to collaborate with board members and participate in Educational Equity Consultants training. He is also committed to being involved in the district’s proposed April 2020 no tax rate increase bond issue. Dr. Buck and his staff have recently led presentations on school safety and social-emotional learning and leadership at Missouri School Boards’ Association conferences. During his time in Wright City, student academic performance moved from the bottom 4 percent of the state to the top third of the state. The district implemented programs that emphasized student mentoring, school-based therapy and social-emotional learning. Like Lee’s Summit, Wright City has scored above 90 percent on Missouri’s Annual Performance Report for the past six years. Prior to Wright City, Dr. Buck spent three years as a high school principal for Warrenton High School in Warren County R-III School District and three years as principal of Fatima High School in the Osage R-III School District. He taught in the Osage R-III School District and worked in coordinator and teaching roles for the Missouri Scholars Academy. Dr. Buck earned his doctorate degree from Missouri Baptist University, educational specialist degree and his master’s degree from the University of Missouri and bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Southeast Missouri State University. He and his wife have three children in ninth, fifth and second grades. He is active in several local and state organizations. For the past four years, he has coached chess club on Thursday mornings. When he begins his tenure in July, Dr. Buck will take the helm of the district from current Interim Superintendent Dr. Emily Miller, who served as acting superintendent before being named interim superintendent in August 2019. She will continue to serve the district in that role through June 2020. “My family and I are beyond excited to join the Lee’s Summit R-7 family,” Dr. Buck said. “Everyone we met during the interview process was so gracious and made us feel at home.” |
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