Managing Growth Through Ears

Profile

Last May, when the U.S. Census Bureau released its annual population estimates for cities and towns, Buckeye, Ariz., topped the list of the fastest-growing communities with populations of 50,000 or more. Sporting an 8.5 percent burst over the previous year when it was ranked fifth, Buckeye figures to stay in the top 10 for quite some time.

Kristi Sandvik, superintendent of the 5,600-student Buckeye Elementary School District, a Phoenix suburb, isn’t troubled by the rapid growth. She sees continuing opportunities to recruit and hire diverse educators who will contribute to an inclusive school environment.

“We’re almost the largest employer in Buckeye, so we make a difference in who we hire,” says Sandvik, who will assume the AASA presidency in July. “We look for philosophical statements that you’re making about kids and practices that show us you’re an inclusive leader. Words matter, and we’re listening to what they say.”

The population growth pushed Sandvik to facilitate new boundary and attendance zones and to expand facilities. She oversaw the building of one K-8 school and the planning for at least two more slated to open in the next two years.

Sandvik’s dedication to listening to and putting her constituents first has led to her being “in the middle of conversations daily” about funding buildings and unoccupied space to lessen the burden on the Buckeye taxpayers — something she’s happy to do.

“A lot of it is state funding, but a lot of it is policy, so you’re advocating for students and curriculum,” Sandvik says. “I can leverage my voice first when I do a good job listening.”

Sandvik, a native of Klamath Falls, Ore., has been in the suburban district since 2010, first as an assistant superintendent for educational services. During her six years in charge, she has successfully managed the expectations of both the old guard and the new arrivals to the district.

“This is a district that’s really traditional in a lot of ways. It has traditional roots and they’re really connected with their past and their history,” says Mike Lee, Buckeye’s assistant superintendent for academic programs and professional learning. “I think her biggest accomplishment there is having a community and leading a school board to be comfortable having those conversations and creating a culture where the tradition is honored and valued, but doesn’t dictate next steps.”

Not long after joining the district following administrative posts in Oregon, Sandvik saw a way to add to the tradition. Working with staff, parents and business leaders, she led Buckeye’s rebranding that fashioned a new mission statement: “A Community Passionate About Student Success.”

She points to the continuing payoff of that effort. “We’ve got to make sure that everybody who comes into Buckeye and everybody who leaves Buckeye knows what we mean about student success,” Sandvik says. “And I can tell you that everybody in the district knows it [and] everybody talks about it.”

Lee believes Sandvik’s down-to-earth nature and sense of humor help her sustain a unique rapport with the Buckeye staff, school board and community.

“There’s a level of seriousness but percolating and bubbling right underneath the surface is an opportunity to laugh with each other and poke fun at ourselves. Nobody pokes fun at themselves better than she does,” Lee says. “There’s no question about her credentials or her knowledge, so it just makes it fun.”