Board Announces Superintendent Appointment

Board Votes Unanimously to Appoint Coby Dennis as Next Superintendent
Posted on 12/13/2018
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Boise, ID -- (12/13/2018) -- On Thursday, December 13, 2018, the Boise School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve the appointment of Coby Dennis, deputy superintendent, Boise School District, to serve as Superintendent of the Boise School District, effective July 1, 2019.

In announcing the appointment, Board members said the selection of Mr. Dennis will allow for a smooth transition of leadership at a time when academic performance and instruction in the District is strong, as is public support for the District.  

“Things are going very well in the District,” explained Nancy Gregory, president, Board of Trustees. “And Mr. Dennis has played an instrumental role in that success. He has served for the last five years under the leadership of Superintendent Dr. Don Coberly and we are confident Mr. Dennis will be able to build on the solid foundation of success that is currently in place.” 

“Mr. Dennis is an experienced and well-respected educator,” added President Gregory. “He has worked tirelessly to build effective working relationships with students, parents, staff members and community stakeholders - all with a focus on what is best for our students and staff members.”

EXPERIENCED & WELL RESPECTED EDUCATOR

Mr. Dennis has worked in the Boise School District since 1991. During that time, he has successfully led a number of efforts to improve instruction, overall academic achievement and school facilities in the District while serving as Deputy Superintendent, Area Director (Timberline High and Capital High), junior high principal (Les Bois), assistant principal (Capital, Borah, and North) and secondary teacher (Borah and North). 

Mr. Dennis’ list of accomplishments are vast. He led the District’s efforts to create a Facilities Master Plan that ultimately culminated in the successful passage of a bond election in 2017 (86% yes vote) that today is providing facility improvements to all District schools. As a member of the District’s collaborative negotiations team, Mr. Dennis played a significant role to ensure the District continues to provide the best quality education with the resources available. He has also helped support and coordinate the District's implementation of Community Schools, Common Core State Standards to support learning in the classroom, Strategic Planning, Budgeting, Legislation & Rule Making Advocacy, District Outreach (external and internal communication), Facility Improvements, and Policy Development. 

Mr. Dennis graduated from Borah High School, received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Math, a Master of Arts Degree in Educational Administration from the University of Idaho and an Educational Specialist Degree from the University of Idaho.

DENNIS ENDORSED BY RETIRING SUPERINTENDENT 

The announcement of Coby Dennis as Superintendent comes after current Superintendent, Dr. Don Coberly, announced his retirement at the end of the 2018-19 school year. Dr. Coberly said he will spend his remaining months fully engaged in the educational and decision making process while continuing to work closely with Deputy Superintendent Dennis to ensure a smooth transition. 

“I am extremely pleased by the Board’s appointment of Coby Dennis,” said Dr. Coberly. “He has the successful experience to move this District forward and he is committed to the District’s Strategic Plan Vision of graduating each student prepared for success in college, career and in life. I look forward to continuing to work with Mr. Dennis in the next few months to ensure that the succession from one superintendent to another is seamless, smooth and most of all, effective for our students and community we serve.”

Mr. Dennis said he is honored by the Board’s decision and looks forward to serving as Superintendent of Schools beginning on July 1, 2019. “I am grateful to the Board of Trustees for this opportunity to continue to serve the needs of our students, staff and community,” explained Mr. Dennis. 

“I am dedicated to building on the solid foundation of success made possible by the work and dedication of previous superintendents, including that of Dr. Coberly, who has played an instrumental role in establishing a culture of student and staff success that is tops in our state and one of the top performing school districts in our nation.” 

ABOUT BOISE SCHOOL DISTRICT 

Boise School District is a nationally recognized, high performing public school system. We provide each and every student the opportunity to receive a comprehensive liberal arts education. Today, our students have more choices and educational opportunities than ever before. From pre-k to college and career prep offerings such as Advanced Placement, AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), Dual-Credit and Career-Technical, as well as elementary focus programs including Montessori, Dual-Language Immersion and Classical, Boise Schools offer the educational access and experience students need to be successful.

The results are impressive:

  • For the tenth year in a row, Boise, Borah, Capital and Timberline are ranked near the top of the Washington Post’s list of America’s Most Challenging High Schools.
  • Our students outperform Idaho and the nation on standardized tests, college entrance exams and Advanced Placement testing.
  • Our college-going rate (69%) is one of the highest in the state and exceeds the state.
    90% Graduation rate that exceeds the state and nation.
  • More National Merit Scholar Semi-Finalists than any other District in the state.
  • Nationally recognized music program.
  • Nationally recognized career and technical education program.
  • Two nationally accredited AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Demonstration Schools.
  • Some of the state's highest performing elementary schools.
  • Timberline and Boise High Schools recognized as being among our countries top high schools by U.S. News & World Reports, Newsweek, Great Schools, TheBestSchools.org, etc.
  • Countless statewide or national recognition for individual schools, students and staff.
  • 25 AP providing thousands of secondary students with rigorous and relevant coursework to prepare them for college and career success.
  • Committed to preparing students for success in college, career and in life.
  • High quality teaching staff - 68% of our teachers hold a Master’s Degree; the average teaching experience in the District is 14 years and almost 50% of our teachers have 16 years of experience or more.