SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Oct. 4, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — The Salt Lake City Board of Education on Tuesday night voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Martin W. Bates as interim superintendent of the Salt Lake City School District.
Bates retired in 2021 as superintendent of the Granite School District, and came out of retirement to accept the interim position with the Salt Lake City School District.
Bates replaces Dr. Timothy Gadson, the district’s embattled superintendent who resigned on Sept. 23 after just 14 months.
Gadson’s resignation was effective on Saturday, though he agreed to remain with the school district as a consultant through June to complete his contract, district officials said. Gadson had been on paid administrative leave since July for an undisclosed personnel matter.
Bates will fill the position in the Salt Lake City School District while the Board of Education works to identify candidates and hire a new superintendent.
Bates spent his early career as a special education and math teacher, and later served in various school and district administrative positions, his last 11 years as superintendent of the Granite School District, according to a statement released by the Salt Lake City School District.
Bates “is a proud Highland High School Ram (he can still sing the school song in its entirety),” the statement says, adding that he, his wife and their eight children all are graduates of the Salt Lake City School District.
