KSDE
TOPEKA — The Kansas State Board of Education has named three finalists for the position of Kansas commissioner of education following a national search conducted in partnership with Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates.
One of those finalists is USD 475 Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Reginald Eggleston. The others are Dr. Lisa Coons and Dr. Jake Steel.
The Board will announce the next commissioner during its April 14 meeting.
The new commissioner will succeed Dr. Randy Watson, who has served as Kansas commissioner of education since 2014. Watson announced his retirement in 2025.
Dr. Reginald Eggleston serves as superintendent of Geary County Schools USD 475 in Kansas, where he oversees district operations and works closely with the board of education to guide long-range planning, academic programs and community partnerships. He was recently named 2026 Kansas Superintendent of the Year.
Dr. Lisa Coons most recently served as state superintendent of public instruction for the Virginia Department of Education, where she led a statewide system serving more than 1.2 million students and oversaw a multibillion-dollar budget.
Dr. Jake Steel serves as director of strategy and operational alignment at the Kansas State Department of Education, where he advises agency leadership on statewide strategy, policy alignment and high-impact initiatives.
Each finalist was scheduled to participate in a final interview with the Kansas State Board of Education, followed by a meeting with agency leadership. Interviews were scheduled for March 31.
The Kansas State Board of Education will announce the next commissioner during its April 14 meeting.