Outgoing Superintendent Still Faces Tough Issues : Education: Walter Swanson’s resignation comes as Hart district deals with quake damage.

Walter Swanson’s resignation as superintendent of the William S. Hart Union High School District will probably take effect in early September, giving him enough time to help the district with major upcoming projects, school officials said Thursday.

Swanson, 50, surprised colleagues by announcing last week that he was leaving the district to accept a similar position in Missouri. His resignation comes when the district is struggling to recover from earthquake damage, balance a drastically underfunded budget and open two new schools.

An informal agreement has been reached with the district’s board of trustees that will allow him to leave Sept. 2, Swanson said. The agreement has to be formally approved by the board, which could occur at its Aug. 10 meeting.

“I’ll be here basically to complete all of the preparations for the beginning of the school year, but I probably will not be here for the new year,” he said.

The board hopes to find a replacement for Swanson within 90 days of his departure, but that is by no means guaranteed, said board member John Hassel. He said the search probably will be conducted by a personnel agency hired by the district.

Swanson will become the superintendent of the Cass R-IX School District in Harrisonville, a suburb south of Kansas City. He said he grew up in that area and much of his family is still there.

The Cass district has about 3,000 students, compared to 11,500 in the Hart district. But Swanson said the opportunity for growth and new programs is abundant, and Missouri schools are not facing the same funding problems as those in California.