Joshua Garrett will be the new superintendent for Wrangell schools after the school board unanimously approved his contract on Friday, May 30.

Garrett attended the meeting virtually from his current home in Kazakhstan.

The board announced on May 23 that Garrett was their top choice, and that they would enter into negotiations on a contract.

The three-year contract starts July 1.

The board approved the contract without discussion at a brief special meeting.

A native of Derby, Kansas, Garrett brings two decades of international education experience to Wrangell. Since 2003, he has held various educational roles, including running schools in China, Azerbaijan, North Macedonia, Georgia and Turkey.

Most recently, since 2021, he served as director of QSI International School of Astana in Kazakhstan's capital, overseeing more than 300 students and a $7.5 million budget.

Garrett holds a doctorate in education from the University of Kentucky, where he has been a guest international lecturer since 2019, and a schools superintendent certificate from the state of Maine.

Garrett will replace Bill Burr, who is leaving the superintendent job at the end of June after four years with the Wrangell district.

The board-approved contract will pay the new superintendent $140,000 a year after he obtains his state of Alaska superintendent certificate, a similar salary to what Burr received.

The district agreed to reimburse Garrett up to $10,000 for moving expenses. He will be required to repay a portion of the reimbursement if he leaves the job before the end of his contract.