Eagle County School District selects Dr. KC Somers as next superintendent
Somers was one of two finalists interviewed by the Board of Education
Eagle County School District/Courtesy photo
Eagle County School District’s Board of Education voted during its meeting Wednesday night to appoint Dr. KC Somers as the district’s next superintendent.
Dr. KC Somers is currently the superintendent of Peoria Unified School District, a district of 35,000 students located in Glendale, Arizona. Prior to that, he was the superintendent at Lewis-Palmer School District 38 in Monument from 2019-24. His skills include organizational leadership and improving academic proficiency through aligned instruction. Dr. Somers has experience in building inclusive communities through partnership-building and cross-agency collaboration, as well as navigating staffing shortages and cost-of-living constraints.
Dr. Somers received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Notre Dame, a master’s degree in instructional technology from American Intercontinental University, and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Phoenix. He began his career as a counselor before working his way into school administration and, ultimately, district administration.
Superintendent Phil Qualman announced during the summer of 2025 that he would step down at the end of the 2025-26 school year, giving the district time to plan for a smooth transition. With the help of the search firm McPherson & Jacobson, the board launched a comprehensive search process to identify the district’s next leader.
The district received 26 applications for the open position after gathering input through a community survey to identify the qualities and priorities stakeholders value in the superintendent position. The pool of candidates was narrowed down to two. Last week, the two finalists participated in a public forum and meet-and-greet for both employees and community members.
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“We are excited to welcome Dr. Somers as he begins his tenure with Eagle County School District and are confident he will continue to move our district forward by embracing the core values of our district: growing students to have creative minds, compassion for others, an enthusiasm for learning, and the courage to pursue their dreams,” said Board of Education President Lelia Conlin.
“I am deeply honored by the Board’s decision and sincerely grateful for the trust you have placed in me to serve as the next superintendent of Eagle County School District,” Dr. Somers shared in a statement with the district. “I enter this role with humility and anticipation. My priority will be to listen and learn from communities across the valley and to understand our strengths, challenges, and aspirations.”
Somers will officially start on July 1 pending final negotiations.
