Francis Howell superintendent to resign for top job at Kirkwood schools

Kenneth Roumpos has resigned and will switch to the Kirkwood School District next year after leading Francis Howell for nearly three years as superintendent.

Roumpos’ impending departure will mark the third superintendent turnover in Francis Howell since Mary Hendricks-Harris retired in 2020. Her successor, Nathan Hoven, retired at the end of the 2021-2022 school year.

Francis Howell has been an epicenter in the region for culture war battles that intensified during the pandemic, when mask mandates were debated. Since the school board flipped to a conservative majority, it has voted to rescind a 2020 resolution against racism while targeting a Black studies curriculum that critics said was influenced by critical race theory. A board member has also pushed the passage of a policy that would ban transgender students from using bathrooms that match their gender identity.

Roumpos spoke briefly at a Kirkwood School Board meeting Monday night, saying he was attracted to Kirkwood’s “strong support for equity.”

“The vision of ensuring that every student is engaged, empowered and ready to be successful in life has stayed with me since I first started coming to the website and trying to learn more about this position,” Roumpos said.

When asked in an interview whether Francis Howell’s political climate played a role in his departure, Roumpos said he’s not leaving the district because of its board.

“The Francis Howell board has been incredibly supportive of me as the superintendent and they continue to be supportive of me,” Roumpos said. “I’m committed to helping the district through the transition as they find the next leader.”

Roumpos will replace David Ulrich, who will retire in June 2025 after five years in the role.

David Ulrich came to the district in July 2020 from Colorado, where he was superintendent of the Moffat County School District. Ulrich was previously the principal at Lee’s Summit North High School and an administrator with the North Kansas City School District.

Roumpos was selected from a pool of seven candidates, of which three were local, Kirkwood Board President Nikole Shurn said.

“We firmly believe that he will elevate our district’s pursuit of academic excellence, diversity, equity and inclusion, while shaping the culture and climate of our schools,” Shurn said during prepared remarks at Monday’s meeting.

Francis Howell’s board voted unanimously to release Roumpos from his contract two years early last week, according to a message sent to the district’s community Monday night.

Roumpos was named interim superintendent in March 2022 and his contract officially began on July 1, 2023. The board will move “aggressively” to hire Francis Howell’s next superintendent, and a search firm will look nationwide, according to the newsletter.

“Dr. Roumpos has made an overwhelmingly positive impact during his time at Francis Howell. His ability to bring people together, concentrate effort on key priorities, and champion excellence for all students has helped take our District to a new level, and will continue over the next six months as we search for our next leader,” Board President Adam Bertrand said in the district newsletter.

Roumpos, 46, has served at various St. Louis-area school districts for about 20 years. He joined Francis Howell as deputy superintendent during the height of the pandemic in July 2020 after holding a number of administrative roles in the Ritenour School District. He started his career teaching in the Mehlville and St. Louis Public school districts during the early 2000s. He led the Shaw Visual and Performing Arts magnet school as assistant principal from 2006-2007.

Roumpos said his children will continue to attend Francis Howell Schools. His family does not currently have plans to move.