After nearly three decades serving Kiowa County School District RE-1, Superintendent Glenn Smith is stepping down.
The Kiowa County School Board RE-1 formally approved Smith’s letter of resignation at its February 23, 2026, board meeting. His contract runs through June 30, and he has indicated he will remain available to assist during the transition process.
Smith began his career in Eads in August 1999 as K-8 principal. During the 2001–2002 school year, he assumed the dual role of superintendent and K-8 principal — positions he held simultaneously for most of the next 25 years.
In total, Smith has served 27 years in the district, including 25 years as superintendent.
Serving 27 years in a single district, including 25 years as superintendent, is exceptionally rare when compared to national trends. Studies consistently show the average superintendent tenure nationwide is approximately five to six years, with principals often serving even less time in one building.
Long-term leadership of more than a decade has become increasingly uncommon, particularly in an era marked by frequent administrative turnover. Smith’s longevity in Eads stands as a significant outlier and reflects decades of sustained alignment between district leadership, the school board, and the community.
Looking back, Smith said the longevity feels “crazy to think about,” but expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve.
“When I started, my number one goal was not to become bitter, not to become negative,” Smith said. “I feel blessed because right now I feel like I’ve got a baton and I’m ready to hand it off to the next person. I want nothing but the best for Eads Schools.”
One of the earliest and most difficult challenges of Smith’s tenure came immediately after he began in 1999, when district enrollment dropped significantly while staffing and programming levels remained unchanged.
“We were at the point of not making payroll until tax monies came in,” Smith said. “We had to be very creative.”
The district implemented retirement incentives, froze salary schedules, and required remaining staff to absorb additional responsibilities.
“Morale was low, and there was really a system that was starting to fall apart,” he said.
Smith credits long-term stability to what he describes as building a strong system, one defined by clear structure, chain of command, and alignment between the board, administration, and staff.
“As superintendent, my main goal was to work with the school board and staff to establish a strong system,” he said. “A system that allows people to trust and to excel.”
In contrast, his role as K-8 principal focused more on day-to-day building operations and direct interaction with staff and students.
Among the most difficult experiences of his career were the losses of students and staff members over the years.
“Probably the hardest parts of the last 27 years were the loss of student and staff life,” Smith said. “Unfortunately, we’ve been touched over the last couple of decades.”
Those moments, he said, leave a lasting impact on any school community.
During Smith’s tenure, Eads Schools earned numerous academic and extracurricular honors, including state championships and awards through programs such as FFA and FBLA. The elementary school also received multiple recognitions.
Still, Smith points less to trophies and more to outcomes.
“It’s just to watch hard work turn into reward for the system,” he said. “Not just the kids that are recognized in that venue, but those kids that go on and are successful in life.”
He emphasized pride in students who overcame obstacles.
“Those long-shot kids that were struggling and now make it and are successful, that’s probably as big of an accomplishment to me as anything,” he said.
Smith has told the board he is willing to help facilitate the search for his replacement but stressed that the hiring decision ultimately rests with the board.
“I want a rockstar,” he said. “I want somebody that comes in and continues on and improves the system.”
He also acknowledged that leadership turnover can be destabilizing, particularly in small districts.
“You see a lot of districts with superintendent turnover, and that becomes very detrimental to the system,” he said.
Smith noted that the board will face structural decisions moving forward, including whether the district continues with combined administrative roles or expands to multiple administrators, a change that would significantly impact the budget.
Housing availability in Eads may also present challenges in recruiting candidates.
As the district begins its search, Smith emphasized the importance of selecting a leader who aligns with the community’s values and the board’s expectations.
“It really boils down to your superintendent aligning with that school board,” he said. “Not so much the education and not so much where they come from, but do they line up with your morals, values and ethics of how you want to run your school district.”
He acknowledged that school leaders often find themselves navigating between state regulations and local expectations.
“Ultimately, a law is a law,” Smith said. “But you’re caught in the middle between the state and the local values. That’s where diplomacy comes in.”
He described leadership in the modern era, especially amid social media and viral school board conflicts seen elsewhere, as requiring steady, level-headed decision-making.
“The person in this role doesn’t do drama,” he said.
While stepping away from the superintendent position, Smith says he is not leaving the community.
“I’m not moving,” he said. “I’m willing to help at some level, whatever that means, to help the district move forward.”
After decades in high-stress administrative roles, he said he hopes for less daily pressure and more time for personal priorities.
Though stepping away from the superintendent role, Smith said he has no intention of disconnecting from the school environment entirely. He noted that some of his favorite moments over the years have been at the student level, including driving a bus route and stepping into smaller support roles when needed.
“I enjoy the kid-level things,” he said, adding that he would be open to continuing in a reduced-capacity position that allows him to stay involved with students while taking on less daily stress.
“I’ve seen too many people die early,” he said. “I’m at the point where I can step back.”
Even so, the tone he carries is not one of departure, but transition.
“I look at it as a handoff,” Smith said. “It’s bittersweet. But I’m totally at peace.”
As Kiowa County School District RE-1 begins the search for its next superintendent, the focus now shifts to maintaining stability, protecting the district’s culture, and ensuring that the next leader can build upon the system that has shaped Eads Schools for nearly three decades.