Aramaki progresses from student, educator, administrator, to now district leader – official swearing-in
BELLEVUE, Wash. — On Thursday, June 8, 2023, Dr. Kelly Aramaki will be sworn in as Bellevue School District’s 18th Superintendent. Led by school board members, Dr. Aramaki will take his oath of office at Wilburton Instructional Service Center, located at 12241 Main St. Bellevue, WA 98005, at 6:15 pm. He will begin the role as superintendent on July 1. The BSD community is invited to celebrate this special occasion.
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.
In an address to BSD educators, Incoming Superintendent Dr. Kelly Aramaki shares his commitment to district staff, students and families, his vision for a future of flourishing in the Bellevue School District, and the five priorities that will help us get there. The five priorities are:
Dr. Aramaki also shared, “We have the opportunity in Bellevue to create what Dr. King refers to as ‘The Beloved Community.’ He describes the Beloved Community as a place where people truly care for one another, absent of hunger, poverty and hate. Our kids are asking for this in order to learn, thrive and belong. If we follow our kids’ lead, we have the chance in Bellevue to deliver on Dr. King’s vision of the Beloved Community.”
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.”
The Bellevue School District is a diverse and dynamic district in East King County, Washington. Its mission is “To serve each and every student academically, socially, and emotionally, through a rigorous and relevant education that is innovative and individualized. As a learning community that values one another’s humanity, we strive to provide courageous support for an equitable and exceptional education for all students.”
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