Fremont County Joint School District appoints new superintendent and welcomes his family
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ST. ANTHONY — A local school district has chosen a new superintendent.
On Monday, the Fremont County Board of Trustees announced that they had appointed Dr. Brandon Farris as the new superintendent for Fremont County Joint School District 215, effective in July.
David Marotz is currently the interim superintendent. Before Marotz, the superintendent was Byron Stutzman.
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Farris lives in Buffalo, Wyoming, with his wife, Nicole, and their kids, Deckyr, 18, Gretchyn, 16, and Benson, 7.
He is originally from Jerome, while his wife is from Pocatello.
“I think coming back to southeast Idaho is really home for us. We are super excited,” Farris told EastIdahoNews.com. “The challenge and the opportunity of being a superintendent is a dream come true for us.”
His love for education began when he served a church mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he was 19 years old.
“As a young missionary in the 1980s, (I was in) London, England. London had over 40 universities, and people came literally from all over the world to go. As a young missionary coming out of Idaho, I got to see firsthand the sacrifice that people made to get an education,” Farris said.
It struck a chord with him, and he learned how important education was. When he finished his mission, he went to college.
Farris got his associate degree from the College of Southern Idaho. He then went to Idaho State University and received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.
Right now, Farris is a principal at Clear Creek Middle School. He has more than 20 years of experience in education.
“I worked 12 years in Idaho, and in that time, I was a teacher, I was an activities director, I was a high school principal and I was a superintendent,” he said. “And then, since we have come over to Wyoming, this is our 13th year here. I have been a K-12 principal and now a middle school principal.”
Farris has worked in Pocatello, Marsh Valley and Mackay.
He said he would finish his current job as principal in mid-June and start as superintendent in Fremont County on July 1.
He told EastIdahoNews.com he hopes to build trust, keep students learning first, make district goals and follow the progression of those goals.
“I am a big believer in communication, just starting to build trust with people so they get to kind of know me,” Farris said. “One of the biggest things I think we do from a superintendent’s point of view is make sure that people are informed. It’s important that I am seeking out feedback from all stakeholders.”
A news release from Fremont County Joint School District said, “Dr. Farris brings a wealth of experience and dedication to education, and we look forward to the positive impact he will make on our school district.”
“After rounds of interviews with the School Board and some administration, they are super positive. They want what’s best for their students, and I do too,” Farris added. “I am so excited to be a part of that. I think we are going to be a wonderful team.”