New superintendent to lead quickly growing Piper Unified School District
Piper Unified School District staff and students will answer to a new leader when they return from this year’s summer break.
The school district in west Kansas City, Kansas, announced last week that it has found a new person to replace outgoing Superintendent Jessica Dain. Dain announced her plans to retire earlier this school year.
Effective July 1, Kellen Adams, who now leads Leavenworth’s public school district, will take the helm in Piper. He’ll oversee the growing school district of more than 2,700 students.
Data from 2025 reported Adams’ most recent salary in Leavenworth, a district of 3,300 students, and a $40 million budget, was $197,932. Before leading Leavenworth, Adams served as superintendent of Chanute Public Schools in southeast Kansas. He’s also held building administrative roles and taught in the classroom.
While he works in a system that educates children by day, he also mentors at the graduate level. Adams teaches graduate courses as a Professor of Practice in Educational Leadership at Kansas State University as well, according to the district.
“Dr. Adams is widely recognized for his leadership across Kansas and his commitment to advancing public education statewide,” according to a news release from Piper Unified School District. “He has been nominated twice for Kansas Superintendent of the Year, highlighting the respect he has earned among colleagues and communities.”
Dain, who has led the Piper district since 2020, announced in January that she would be retiring at the end of this school year. She oversaw the district through the $64 million bond issue that built the new Piper High School, the establishment of a district-run special education program and the COVID-19 Pandemic.
She’ll leave Piper after about 30 years of work in education and leadership in various roles in Blue Valley, DeSoto and Olathe public schools.
Adams, who was also named as a finalist to lead the Auburn Washburn Unified School District in Topeka, was honored to be selected as Piper’s new superintendent, according to the news release. “I look forward to working alongside students, staff, families, and the community to continue the district’s strong tradition of excellence and to create new opportunities for all learners,” he said in the release.
