Shelley Arrott named new superintendent of Ponca City Public Schools

Superintendent Shelley Arrott

Shelley Arrott was named the new superintendent for Ponca City Public Schools during a meeting of the Ponca City Public Schools Board of Education Monday night.

Arrott will succede Dr. David Pennington in the post. He has announced his retirement effective in August. Pennington has served as superintendent since 2004.

Arrott was elected unanimously by the board.  She currently is the Executive Director of Human Resources and Teacher Leader Effectiveness.

She has 33 years of experience as an educator in Oklahoma. She has worked in the Ponca City Public School district for the past 22 years, serving in various positions including Director of School Improvement, Curriculum Specialist, principal at Union Elementary and teacher. She received her Bachelor of Science at Southwestern Oklahoma State University and a Masters of Education from Northwestern Oklahoma State University.

“The board is very satisfied with the selection of Shelley Arrott as the new Ponca City Public School superintendent,” said Board President Dr. David Kinkaid. “We believe she has demonstrated the characteristics the board was seeking and is ready for the job. This is a great opportunity for her and for our district.”

The board has been taking applications for the last several weeks, but ultimately decided not to interview any applicants.

“We didn’t feel like it was necessary when we knew we had the best candidate right here in our own district,” Kinkaid said. “We did not want to mislead anyone by interviewing. The decision we made was quick; however, we feel it was the right decision.”

The board will vote on an official employment contract for Arrott at a later date.

“The board checked every superintendent salary in the state of Oklahoma,” said Dr. Kinkaid. “The salary we set for the position of superintendent will not be out of line; however, we want Shelley’s compensation to be fair to her and fair to the district.”

Arrott comes from a family of educators. Her father is a retired school superintendent, and her mother is a retired teacher.

“It is my honor and privilege to be named Superintendent of the Ponca City Public Schools,” Arrott said. “I am proud to be a part of such a wonderful school district and community that takes immense pride in offering an excellent education and providing memorable educational experiences for each child.

“The loyalty I feel toward Ponca City Public Schools is immeasurable, and I look forward to respectfully and humbly serving the Board of Education, staff, students, parents and community to ensure our students are prepared for their future and for a successful life,” she said. “I will take great pride in working hand-in-hand with all stakeholders to execute this vision of excellence. Relationships are at the heart of any organization, and I relish the opportunity to work as a team to meet these goals for our children’s future.”

Arrott serves on the Board of Directors of Hospice of North Central Oklahoma and United Way. She is a member of the Cooperative Council of School Administrators and Oklahoma Association of School Personnel Administrators.

She is married to Josh Arrott, an employee at Phillips 66 Refinery, and has a son and daughter-in-law, Tyler and Mary Forehand and granddaughter Ashlyn, all of Glenpool, Oklahoma. She also has a step-daughter, Jessica Arrott of Sugar Land. She is a student at Warton County Community College.

“The Board would like to express sincere appreciation to all district employees and community members who took the time to give us their input on what they wanted in a new school leader,” Dr. Kinkaid said. “We used the input to create a profile of the qualities and characteristics they wanted in a new superintendent.”