Kenneth Spells was chosen to be the next superintendent of South Bend Community School Corp., the South Bend Tribune reported.

If his contract is approved by the School Board, he will replace retiring Superintendent Carole Schmidt in July.

Spells is currently the superintendent of Alton Community Unit School District #11 in Godfrey, Ill., a few miles outside of St. Louis. While there, he improved the student expulsion rate and led the school system through a $16 million state funding cut.

The school board chose him after interviewing three finalists over the course of a week. The public will be able to comment publicly on Spells’ proposed contract a week before the School Board takes a final vote on it.

During his public interview with the school board on May 12, Spells talked about the importance of working with students and their parents to improve the education provided by schools.

“Student achievement is our most important thing,” he said during his interview. 

Read more about Spells and his contract in the story from the South Bend Tribune.