ARLINGTON — As the Arlington School District draws up its timeline for finding a new superintendent, Kris McDuffy reflected on her eight years in the position. She has been named the new superintendent of the Edmonds School District.

“It was a difficult decision,” McDuffy said. “I still have mixed emotions over it. Edmonds represents an incredible opportunity for me to pursue, full of wonderful challenges, but I can’t help but think of what Arlington has already given me. I love this community, and I love our team.”

McDuffy takes pride in the clarity of focus that the district’s mission has gained during her tenure.

“We really hammer home that it’s about every child, ever hour, every day,” McDuffy said. “We’ve expanded opportunities for student learning and development.”

McDuffy cited the jump in graduation rates, from 68 percent in 2008 to 89 percent now.

“We’ve also come a long way in improving the district’s financial health and stability,” McDuffy said. “It’s been a very collaborative process, and I’m proud to be leaving behind a district with an embedded culture of teamwork.”

McDuffy acknowledged that plenty of work remains for her successor, but requested that whomever takes over would stay the course.

“This district has a culture of continuous improvement and examining its practices and data,” McDuffy said. “They’re really great people who are doing great work, and it’s been an honor and a pleasure to serve with them for the past eight years, for which I’ll be forever grateful.”

Although McDuffy is moving from a district with just over 5,000 students to one with more than 20,000, Edmonds School Board President Susan Phillips deemed her “student-centered decision-making” an ideal fit for her district’s priority on putting students first.

“She’s a strong leader who’s well respected in her community and the educational field,” Phillips said. “She’s built strong relationships with the stakeholders in Arlington.”

Phillips consoled Arlington by noting that a number of other qualified candidates applied for the Edmonds job, so she felt sure that Arlington would find a fine replacement for McDuffy soon.

“We weren’t looking for big changes,” Phillips said. “Kris McDuffy knows how to wield a scalpel rather than an ax.”