Ken Haptonstall selected as Grand Junction D51 superintendent

Garfield School District 16 Superintendent Ken Haptonstall was selected Thursday as superintendent of Grand Junction District 51. The school board voted unanimously to hire him from a pool of four finalists and to begin contract negotiations pending background and reference checks.

“He brings the strengths of managing a district, passion for the job, the experience of running a system and working with boards. All of the criteria that when we talked a month-plus ago about what were essentials that we were looking for in a superintendent, I think are encapsulated with Ken,” District 51 School Board member Doug Levinson said in a press release. “We brought some really solid people here, so it’s more being fortunate to pick one strong [finalist] among other strong ones.”

Since 2009, Haptonstall served as Garfield School District 16 superintendent after having been the assistant superintendent from 2007-2008.