Wenatchee School District Superintendent Brian Flones is currently recovering from two hip replacement surgeries and has been out of his office since shortly after last school year ended.

Flones went in for hip replacement surgery on June 22, as a result of an old injury he had suffered while playing for the Seattle Seahawks, according to Wenatchee School District Executive Secretary Lindee Akers. After the operation, Flones suffered a postoperative complication with his replacement hip that appeared towards the end of July, forcing him to have his hip replaced a second time. Both surgeries took place at Wenatchee Valley Hospital.

“It was a serious complication,” Akers said. “The deputy superintendent Jon Dejong has taken over all of his duties. He has communicated with Mr. Flones… He was available for everything we needed him for.”

According to Akers, Flones will return to work soon, but not before the 2015-16 school year starts. Akers estimated that he would be recovered in a “couple of weeks.”

DeJong has taken over all of Flones’ duties for the entire length of his absence, including negotiating contracts with the various district unions, including the teacher’s union, and the maintenance and operations union.