WESTFIELD, Ind. (WANE) Dr. Sherry Grate will leave DeKalb Central Schools to serve as superintendent of Westfield Washington Schools.

The Westfield Washington Board of School Trustees is expected to approve Grate’s contract at its next meeting March 29. If approved, she would begin July 1.

Dr. Grate will replace the retiring Dr. Mark Keen.

“I have had the tremendous privilege and honor to serve the DeKalb Central School District, and I will be forever grateful,” said Grate. “I leave knowing that our schools are in good hands, with a solid team supporting the mission of developing socially responsible students who are literate, academically successful, engaged in all aspects of their education and prepared for success in the 21st century. I will miss the friendships, amazing employees, students, families, and community partners, however this was such a striking opportunity, I could not pass it by.”

A district employee for 16 years, Grate has served as DeKalb Central’s superintendent for the last seven. She was named District II superintendent of the year in 2014.

DeKalb Central School Board President Bruce Buttermore lauded Grate’s visionary leadership and commitment to continuous improvement in advancing the overall mission and direction of the district.

“We are proud of the progress made under Dr. Grate’s leadership and we are positioned well to advance the systems that have so strategically been developed over time,” said Buttermore.

According to a representative from Westfield Washington Schools, the district “engaged in a comprehensive search” for Keen’s successor with a focus on finding a visonary with “well-rounded leadership competencies to build upon the district’s demonstrated success and high expectations for excellence.”