On Thursday, January 26, 2023, the Bellevue School District Board of Directors announced that Dr. Kelly Aramaki has been selected as the new superintendent of Bellevue School District. Dr. Aramaki will begin the role as superintendent on July 1, after spending the next five months transitioning into the role with the support of Interim Superintendent, Dr. Art Jarvis and BSD’s executive team.
Most recently serving as the Assistant Superintendent at the Bellevue School District, Dr. Aramaki has a long history in the field of education. Throughout his career, Dr. Aramaki has also served as a teacher, principal, and executive director of schools. In each role, he has shown dedication to the service of students and staff, collaborating with each group to create positive, inclusive and equitable school environments where students excel academically, socially and emotionally. Dr. Aramaki’s professional accomplishments include the National Milken Educator Award, 2013 Washington State Elementary Principal of the Year, and the 2013 Northwest Asian Weekly Visionary Award.
Dr. Aramaki attended the University of Washington and earned his Bachelor of Science in Zoology with a Minor in Music. He then earned his Master of Arts in Teaching from Columbia University in New York with an emphasis on early childhood and the inclusion of students with special needs in the general education classroom setting. In 2018, he earned his Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Washington.
On his family legacy of a collective 123 years and 5 generations in the Bellevue community — and a considerable amount of time in the school system, Dr. Aramaki remarked, “It is a dream to be able to serve as superintendent in Bellevue — the city where I live and grew up in. My family is one of the earliest Japanese American families in Bellevue, with my great grandfather having immigrated from Japan in 1900. Before WWII and the Japanese Internment, my grandfather graduated from Bellevue High School. After the war, my father graduated from Sammamish High School. I graduated from Newport High School. And I have a daughter who is a freshman at Interlake High School. I love the Bellevue School District and this community with its extraordinary diversity, culture and support for education. To be able to serve our community as superintendent is the greatest privilege and honor.”
BSD School Board President Sima Sarrafan said, “Dr. Aramaki was selected from an excellent field of applicants. He possesses an exceptional breadth of experience in instruction, early childhood, and special education, along with innovative and impactful leadership in critical areas; additionally, his depth of trust with and understanding of our diverse community are unparalleled. This marks only the second time in Bellevue School District’s 105-year history that we will have a former student and administrator as our superintendent. We were delighted and honored to select him as our 18th Superintendent.”
View the announcement of the new Bellevue School District superintendent which took place at the January 26, 2023, special meeting of the Board of Directors.