On Tuesday, the Northshore School Board voted to name Ken Smith as interim school director, filling the position that he previously held.

Smith, a Kenmore resident, served for 18 months on the board until he resigned from his position in April to run for state senate in the 45th District. He has since announced that he will not enter the state senate race and then applied to fill his own vacated school board seat until the fall election.

The board interviewed three candidates on Monday, including Smith.

Board President Amy Cast noted in an NSD press release that Smith offers continuity because he has been so deeply involved in some of the board’s current work such as strategic planning and a new governance model.

“This was a difficult decision for the board,” said Cast in the release. “Every applicant for this interim position offered strong credentials, which reflects our community’s exceptional commitment to education.”

Smith will be sworn in during the June 13 meeting. An election to fill the remainder of Smith’s vacated school board term, which runs until 2019, will be held in November.

“We look forward to working with Ken again as we support important initiatives such as grade reconfiguration, the shifting of school boundaries and the opening of North Creek High School,” Cast said in the release.

Smith has two children attending Northshore schools. He works as an associate professor of accounting for Central Washington University.