To the Evansville Day School Community –

I am writing to share news that, after six years at Evansville Day School, Kevin Kunst has decided to conclude his leadership as Head of School in June 2024. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to thank Kevin for his service to Evansville Day School and his unwavering commitment to the school’s mission and values. The Board is also appreciative that by extending his tenure through the 2023-2024 school year, Kevin is providing us with an opportunity to realize a seamless leadership transition. (Please see Kevin’s message below.)

I first had the pleasure of meeting Kevin and his wife Judith when they visited Evansville for Kevin’s Head of School interview. Kevin’s steadfast dedication to education and family impressed me. Since that time, I have enjoyed working with him first as a Trustee and now as President of the Board of Trustees. When Kevin and his family arrived at EDS in the summer of 2018, no one could have anticipated the incredible disruption created by a global pandemic. Kevin bravely and thoughtfully navigated our school through unprecedented challenges while strengthening our school’s fabric. We are grateful for his leadership during that difficult time. In addition, Kevin helped spearhead the formation of two of our school’s signature programs: the House System and the Upper and Middle School Leadership Councils. Kevin also generously shared his wealth of knowledge gained through his many years as an independent school educator and administrator. Most importantly, he has shown genuine concern for our students and community and has always upheld Evansville Day School’s mission and values. The Board of Trustees is thankful for Kevin’s leadership and wishes him the very best in his future endeavors.

This is a pivotal time in Evansville Day School’s 77-year history. One of the most important duties of the Board of Trustees is to ensure the solid leadership of our school, and the Board takes this responsibility very seriously. As we look to Kevin’s continued leadership throughout the 2023-2024 school year, the Board will embark on a search for a new Head of School. We will share our progress as much as possible during this process. The Board is assembling a search committee which will engage a search firm specializing in independent school leadership. This partnership will ensure that we have access to the most qualified candidates who are aligned with Evansville Day School’s mission and values. The Board firmly believes a successful search requires the engagement of faculty, staff, families, alumni, and students. To that end, during the search process we will invite your input regarding our school’s needs and priorities as well as the qualities and qualifications desired for our next Head of School.

Evansville Day School is a unique independent school with a long history of delivering bold and rewarding educational experiences and outcomes for its students. Our beloved school has an outstanding faculty and staff, a remarkable student body, a devoted parent community, and a loyal alumni base. The Board of Trustees is committed to upholding our school’s mission and values as we undertake this important leadership transition.

Sincerely,

Patrick J. Griffin

President, Board of Trustees

Evansville Day School

To the EDS Community -

I have spent all of my life in and around schools, and this Day School community and its commitment to its mission and to one another is truly special. So it is with very mixed emotions that I write to inform you that the 2023-2024 school year will be my last as Head of School.

This school year is my 30th in independent school education. In that time, I have had the great pleasure to serve several schools in a variety of capacities: teacher, coach, camp counselor and director, senior administrator, and head of school. I would not in any way change the journey I have been on, or more importantly the students I have been able to impact, and the incredible colleagues that I have been blessed to work alongside - many of whom are right here. I have learned so much along the way, and I hope that I have been able to impart some knowledge to those around me as well.

My six years at Evansville Day School will always be marked by a pandemic that stretched over three school years. I am proud of the way we steered this ship during those times, and prouder still of the growth trajectory I believe Evansville Day School is now on. It is very hard not to want to be the one to see it all the way through, and regardless of the next step of my career, I intend to be involved in any ways that are afforded to me. I will be a former Head of School who takes the emeritus role seriously, and I will continue to invest in the future of EDS.

Certainly, the biggest impact the school has had on me and my family is in the formation of my children. I could not have asked for a better education for Aidan, Jesse, and Eli, and I have no doubt that this school has prepared and will continue to prepare them for success in the world, and that there has been created in them a sense of being a Day School Eagle for life. No amount of words can express my gratitude to their teachers, coaches, and mentors.

My goals for this present year will be to continue to grow our school community, to strengthen our academic programs, and to lay the foundation for continued investment in our most important asset, the faculty and staff of EDS. I will also, of course, be a support in all areas of transition as we finetune our vision of the future, and the Board of Trustees searches for the next leader of this wonderful school. 

My wife Judith and I are very committed to our new home here in Evansville. Judith has formed her own grant-writing and consulting business, and I intend next year to partner with her in supporting non-profits here and around the country. In addition, I have an opportunity to do some educational consulting, so I plan to continue in that way to contribute to the world of independent and private schools.

This is not an easy decision, nor is it one I take lightly, but as my children get older, and frankly as I get older, I need to increase the investment in myself and in them. Thank you to all who have welcomed us into the Day School family and for allowing me to be the steward of this special place. It is one of the great honors of my life. Go Eagles!

All my best,

Kevin Kunst

Head of School