Shawn Arnold set to be Juneau School District’s next superintendent
- Mark Sabbatini
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
School board votes Tuesday to enter contract negotiations with Thunder Mountain Middle School principal; he will replace Frank Hauser, who is departing June 30
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
This is a developing story.
Thunder Mountain Middle School Principal Shawn Arnold has been selected as the new superintendent of the Juneau School District, school board members announced Tuesday evening.
Arnold, a district employee since 2021, will replace Frank Hauser, who is set to depart June 30 after serving as superintendent since 2023. The Juneau Board of Education considered three finalists in an executive session that lasted more than an hour Tuesday before announcing the district will enter contract negotiations with Arnold.
While "tentative terms" were agreed upon by board members during the executive session, school board president Britteny Cioni-Haywood declined to specify the compensation Arnold is being offered.
Arnold, during a public meet-and-greet involving the three finalists last Wednesday at TMMS, said his military experience taught him to be flexible and prioritize people and service, and he mentored “most of the superintendents in this state” as a professor at the University of Alaska Southeast.
"For the last 11 years, I taught and mentored most of the superintendents in this state. and continue to do that. To put it simply, I've seen changes over the past few years. The changes I probably would have done a little bit differently,” he said. “It's not about titles. It's not about a salary, it's about service, and kind of giving back to the community that is my home.”
In addition to serving as principal at Thunder Mountain — both as a high school and middle school — Arnold worked as superintendent of Valdez City Schools and Nome Public Schools.
“I am honored and excited to be selected as the next Superintendent of the Juneau School District,” Arnold said in a prepared statement issued by the district. “Juneau is my home, and I care deeply about this community, our students, and the staff who serve them every day. 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. Together, we will focus on supporting our staff, strengthening relationships, and ensuring that Juneau’s schools remain a source of pride in our community.”
The other two finalists were Kevin Shipley, superintendent of Evadale Independent School District in Texas; and Carlee Simon, former dean of University of Alaska Southeast’s School of Education and former superintendent of Alachua County Public Schools in Florida.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
