Independence School District hires new superintendent, addressing concerns from previous role at KCPS
The Independence Board of Education unanimously appointed Dr. Vickie Murillo as the district's next superintendent on Tuesday evening. With over 40 years of experience in education, Murillo has served as superintendent for the Council Bluffs Community School District in Iowa for nearly a decade. In 2025, Education Insider magazine named her one of the top 10 school superintendents in the country, praising her for early college programs, credential opportunities, and holistic support.
Independence Board of Education Vice President Anthony Mondaine highlighted Murillo's exceptional qualities, stating that she stood out among 20 candidates. He described her as a 'believable leader' and a 'confident leader' who is 'down for what she believes in in education'.
However, there's a cloud over Murillo's previous role at the Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS). In 2019, two years after her departure, KCPS revealed that attendance numbers from 2013 to 2016 were falsified by district employees to boost accreditation scores. During this period, Murillo was the district's chief academic and accountability officer. When the report came out, KETV in Omaha, Nebraska, investigated and confirmed that the Council Bluffs Community School District's spokesperson stated that Murillo 'was not aware of any irregularities in reporting'.
Despite this, the Council Bluffs Community School District's board president, David Coziahr, expressed confidence in Murillo's leadership, stating that the board is 'pleased with Dr. Murillo’s stellar leadership in the Council Bluffs Schools'.
KMBC asked Mondaine about the potential concerns regarding Murillo's involvement in the falsification of attendance numbers. He acknowledged that no leader is perfect, but emphasized the importance of due diligence in background checks. The Missouri School Board Association conducted thorough checks, and Mondaine expressed confidence in their findings, stating that they are 'fully confident in everything that we reviewed about Doctor Murillo'.
Additionally, during her time at KCPS, Murillo was named in a lawsuit alleging misuse of school funds and discrimination against a former principal who reported the misuse. The suit was settled in 2019, and Mondaine assured that the background checks were comprehensive and that the decision to appoint Murillo was the right one.
The Independence Board of Education conducted a thorough search process, including stakeholder surveys and community input forums, before announcing Murillo as the new ISD superintendent. However, the public had not been informed of the candidates' names prior to the announcement.
Murillo's commitment to education and her desire to be in the trenches with students and families will be evident as she takes on her new role. She will start as the Independence School District Superintendent on July 1, and the community is eager to see her impact on the district.
