On Friday afternoon the KIBSD school board came out of a special meeting and announced they had selected Daniel Brigman of North Carolina to lead the school district starting July 1.
In a press release from Monday, Jan. 26, Board President Kerry Irons said of their selection, “The Board is confident that Dr. Brigman’s extensive leadership experience, commitment to student success, and collaborative approach make him the best choice for the future of our district.”
Brigman was one of four finalists for the superintendent job initially announced by the school board earlier this month. Clayton Vaughn withdrew for personal reasons, and Kim Hanisch accepted a job in Cordova, leaving Miranda Bacha of Sitka and Brigman.
Both Bacha and Brigman flew to Kodiak last week for a tour of the school district and to meet with various community stakeholders before participating in a public forum on Thursday night, Jan. 22. The next day the two finalists met individually with the school board for final interviews in executive session.
Brigman has more than two decades of experience as a superintendent across several states, but has no Alaska experience according to his resume.
He was most recently the superintendent of Avery County Schools in North Carolina from 2020 to 2024. Brigman abruptly left the position at the end of October, 2024 after agreeing to a $300,000 buyout with the local board of education according to reporting from the Avery Journal Times. The board of education did not give an explanation for the separation with Brigman and said it would not disclose any details because it was a personnel matter.
KIBSD’s school board members told the Kodiak Daily Mirror that Brigman satisfied their concerns regarding his employment history and stood by their decision.
After being selected as the Kodiak superintendent, Brigman said in a press release, "In the coming months, I look forward to visiting schools, meeting staff, listening to families and working closely with the school board to understand Kodiak’s needs and priorities. Together, we will develop a plan that is realistic, sustainable, and worthy of this community. My goal is to ensure the school district remains strong and fiscally solvent for many years to come."
According to Irons, as of the publishing of this story, Brigman’s contract details are still being worked out.
