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Dr. Frank Harwood Deputy Commissioner
Frank Harwood, Ed. D., currently supervises the administration of more than $6.5 billion state and federal funds which flow through the State Department of Education to unified school districts and nonpublic schools. He serves as the liaison for the State Board of Education to the Legislature spending considerable time providing information necessary in the decision-making process in the area of education and more specifically school finance. Harwood also supervises the preparation of KSDE’s annual budget request, as well as the auditing of all state and federal programs administered by this agency.
Prior to joining KSDE in January of 2024 as Deputy Commissioner for the Division of Fiscal and Administrative Services, Harwood taught high school biology, chemistry and physics and coached basketball and track at Perry-Lecompton USD 343, served as assistant high school principal at Leavenworth USD 453, a middle school principal, IT director and chief operations officer at Lawrence USD 497, and served as superintendent a total of 12 years, first in Bellevue, NE, and De Soto USD 232 the past 7 years, accumulating over 30 years of experience in the public education field.
Harwood received a bachelor’s degree in secondary science education from the University of Kansas and earned his master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. He attended Washburn University to obtain building and district licensure. Harwood received his doctorate from the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
Updated 1/2024
The Division of Fiscal and Administrative Services (DFAS) oversees the financial aspects of the agency, including the budget for KSDE and the distribution of state aid to schools.
The division also has primary responsibility for working with the Legislature, including:
The Division of Fiscal and Administrative Services has responsibility for data collection and preparation and dissemination as it relates to school finance. This division also has oversight of child and school nutrition programs and handles recognition of outstanding educators and students.
In addition, the Division of Fiscal and Administrative Services coordinates the purchasing functions of KSDE and plans for and implements communication systems within the agency. Following are the teams that comprise Division of Fiscal and Administrative Services:
Deputy Commissioner Dr. Frank Harwood (785) 296-3871 fharwood@ksde.org
Questions about this page contact:
Senior Administrative Specialist Sherry Root (785) 296-3871 sroot@ksde.org
The Kansas State Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities. (more information...)
To accommodate people with disabilities, on request, auxiliary aides and services will be provided and reasonable modifications to policies and programs will be made. To request accommodations or for more information please contact the Office of General Counsel at gc@ksde.org or by 785-296-3201.