OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A suburban Kansas City school district has picked the leader of Kansas’ largest district as its next superintendent.

The Olathe district announced Monday that its school board has voted to hire Wichita schools superintendent John Allison.

Allison will complete the current school year in Wichita before beginning work July 1 in Olathe. He is replacing Marlin Berry, who left to become superintendent in Rogers, Arkansas. With 30,000 students, Olathe is the state’s second-largest Kansas school district. Wichita has about 50,000 students.

The Wichita district is meeting Jan. 5 in closed session to discuss steps to replace Allison. He said last week that he sought the Olathe job in part to be closer to his aging mother, who lives in the Kansas City area.