Dr. Kenneth Vedra became superintendent of the Bellingham School District on July 1, 2007. The Bellingham schools serve approximately 10,400 students from preschool through high school.

“I am very excited about the opportunities that Bellingham presents. The community has a warm, positive feel and I look forward to being a part of it,” Vedra said. “The Bellingham Public Schools have had great academic success and I hope that I can contribute to further enhance that success for all students.”

Prior to coming to Bellingham, Dr. Vedra was superintendent of Academy School District 20 in Colorado Springs. Academy District 20 has 21,230 students and 2,900 employees. Under Vedra’s leadership, student achievement for all students in District 20 reached the highest level in the state among similar-size districts in Colorado. During his tenure, he implemented a Top 10 ceremony to honor outstanding academic achievement for all district high schools and started a Student Advisory Council of representatives from all District 20 high schools. In 2004, he was named Colorado Superintendent of the Year.

He is currently a member of the National School Boards Association, National Association of Federally Impacted Schools, American Association of School Administrators, and Colorado Association of School Executives. He is the secretary/treasurer of the International Baccalaureate North America Board of Directors and serves on the International Baccalaureate Organization Finance Committee. He has been a leader in legislative change and helped direct Colorado and federal legislation by working closely and directly with senators and representatives.

Vedra was assistant superintendent of finance for Academy School District in 1999 before becoming superintendent of schools in 2000. Vedra steered District 20 through three major ballot issues that improved the district’s financial stability to accommodate growth. District 20 has grown by nearly 3,000 students since Vedra became superintendent. He has overseen the remodeling and creation of several new schools, including the da Vinci Academy School of Science and the Arts and the Discovery Canyon Campus, a pre-K-12 learning community with a focus on math and science integration.

Vedra has 30 years of leadership and work experiences in education. Before moving to Colorado Springs, Vedra had been a principal at Gateway High School in Aurora, Colo., for six years. He worked as assistant superintendent in the Adams County School District 50 in Westminster, Colo., from 1987–1993. From 1984–1987, he was director of budget and finance for Aurora Public Schools in Colorado and as assistant principal of Gateway High School in that district from 1980–1984. He began his career as a teacher and coach at Russell Junior High and Doherty High School in Colorado Springs in 1977.

He earned his doctorate from the University of Colorado’s College of Education in 1986, his master’s degree in educational administration from Colorado State University in 1980 and his bachelor’s in history from the University of Wisconsin in 1976.