The North Beach School District Board of Directors unanimously voted to extend Superintendent Andrew Kelly’s contract through June of 2025.

The decision came after his mid-year evaluation at the Jan. 18 board meeting. Kelly was anonymously scored on a scale of 1-4 by every board member prior to the meeting on a variety of responsibilities: from staff development to effective communications.

He received high marks, with threes for “proficient” and fours for “distinguished.” Kelly joined the North Beach School District in July 2018, and has been responsible for leading the district through several major issues, such as growing class sizes and pandemic learning.

“His dedication to our staff and families over the last two years especially has been nothing less than amazing,” said Board Chairperson Jessica Iliff in a statement from the North Beach School District. “To work alongside someone who truly believes our students deserve the best is a blessing and an honor. I could not be more excited to navigate the future of our district with my fellow board members and Superintendent Kelly.”

This school year marks 30 years in public education for Kelly, who has served as Superintendent of the North Beach School District for four years. He has navigated the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic for nearly 800 students and their families, and continues to address the ongoing needs of the district.

“I truly believe that we each have a moral obligation to support every young person in our midst. I believe that we could transform our nation overnight if we could get each local community to ‘love’ each child as if they were their own.” said Kelly.

Kelly’s education career has been deeply rooted in the state of Washington. He was born in Chehalis, and graduated from W.F. West High School before he pursued a Bachelor’s Degree in music education from Central Washington University. He began his teaching career in Zillah, where he fostered a love for the intersection of education, music, and athletics.

Kelly earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Heritage University before returning home to Chehalis Middle School to serve as assistant principal. He later stepped into a more administrative role by serving as the director of the Yelm Community School District.

He has been particularly passionate about school and district improvement, having served as a high school principal in three different communities with low-performing schools that lacked equitable resources and whose students were frequently marginalized.

“I truly believe that public education is one of the great equalizers within our society … opening doors for kids who come from challenging and disadvantaged backgrounds. Perhaps providing quality education is the civil rights issue of our time,” said Kelly.

Less than a year after returning to Washington in 2011, Kelly was recruited to serve as the Assistant Superintendent in the Office of Student and School Success, where he coached 286 schools statewide that were intensified as focus or priority schools for low student achievement in reading or mathematics. He then went on to join three of these “priority” schools in 2015 by serving as the Superintendent of the Lyle School District. By 2018, all of Lyle’s schools had exited priority status.

The North Beach School District has experienced strong growth in recent years as more families have moved to fast-growing communities along the coast. This has placed a strain on the district’s resources, particularly when it comes to classroom space.

Next month’s special election includes a $110 million bond measure for North Beach residents that would help fund the rebuilding of Pacific Beach Elementary and improvements to North Beach Middle/High School and Ocean Shores Elementary. Should it pass, the measure would help provide additional classroom space, as well as a multi-use space/tsunami refuge at both North Beach Middle/High School and Ocean Shores Elementary.

“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished in North Beach in the past four years and look forward to continuing to improve the district and opportunities for kids to ensure that every scholar can pursue their dreams and aspirations following high school,” said Kelly.