Friday, July 13, 2012
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Administrative changes School board continues in school districts mark closed door sessions years’ end By Patrick McDonough
pmcdonough@soundpublishing.com
By Patrick McDonough pmcdonough@soundpublishing.com
Multiple administrative changes at the Bremerton School District and the Central Kitsap School District have been announced since the beginning of the month. In the Bremerton School District, Aaron Leavell returned to the district as Assistant Superintendent after a stint as North Kitsap School District’s Director of Secondary Education. Before the move to NKSD in 2009, Leavell was the principal of Bremerton High School where the Association of Washington School Principals voted him Principal of the Year for 2008-2009. Leavell said he had no plans to leave NKSD, but after Linda Jenkins left the assistant superintendent’s position and the offer came from Superintendent Flip Herndon, Leavell said he was quick to take the opportunity to return. “I was very excited at the possibility to return to the community and district where I had served in education for 13 years,” Leavell said. Leavell said he looks forward to working with
staff and parents in the district and providing leadership “specifically around funding, standards-based grading, transitioning to Common Core State Standards and the new Teacher Principal Evaluation Pilot system,” he said. Bremerton School District Superintendent Flip Herndon said Leavell was simply the right person for the job. “Aaron was the candidate that had the best qualifications and fit for what we need to be successful,” Herndon said. In the Central Kitsap School District, Bill Mosiman, Director of Special Services for the district, has accepted the position of Director of Special Services for the Bainbridge Island School District. Mosiman first served as assistant director and then director of special services in the CKSD before the move. Mosiman’s departure from the district follows a June 7 vote of no confidence from the teacher’s union. District officials say the change in position has nothing to do with the union’s opinion. Kathryn Coleman will take over for Mosiman as
Interim Director of Special Services for the district. Coleman moved from the position assistant director of the department. Coleman’s position will remain open but will be posted as an interim position for the upcoming school year, according to school officials. Ryan Hahn has been appointed as transportation director for the district. Hahn will be moving from position as transportation director for the Astoria, Ore. School District. The position was vacated by Laura Nowland who district officials said had accepted a job at another district. District officials said the changes will not impact the current budget situation since the positions being filled are pre-existing ones. Central Kitsap School District Superintendent Greg Lynch said the changes in administrative staffing would be good for the district by bringing a new perspective on leadership. “Changes such as this happen routinely every year,” Lynch said. “It is always an opportunity to refresh ourselves from a leadership perspective and bring in new ideas.”
A last minute July 10 special session of the Central Kitsap School Board - the second such meeting held within two weeks time ended once again without action or comment by the board. The meeting’s full agenda called for a “Recess into Executive Session Pursuant to RCW 42.30.110 to Review Complaints Against One or More Public Employees, and to Review their Performance. Return to Special Session. The Board May Take Action Following the Executive Session Concerning the Complaint Against District Employees(s).” Once again, the meeting was scheduled one day prior to the special session with notification of the meeting posted to the district’s website within a 24 hour time frame school officials said was allowed by law. During the prior special session, held at 9 p.m. on June 27, board members Christy Cathcart and Mark Gaines were not present and Board President Chris Stokke said action or comment by the board would not be appropriate in their absence. All members of the board were present for the 5 p.m. July 10 session which
adjourned to special session after recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and a unanimous motion by the board to adjourn to closed session. At 6 p.m., Stokke returned and announced an hour extension of the session, and 45 minutes later the entire board returned and adjourned without comment or action. During the regularly scheduled public meeting of the board held July 11. Stokke read a prepared statement pertaining to the closed sessions. “The school board met last night with the superintendent in executive session to review the concerns raised about the performance of one or more employees. The school board has not yet determined if the board will take action or release a public statement. In light of the pending litigation with the Department of Education concerning the loss of heavy impact aid the school board has no further comment at this time.” The board’s silence and inaction left some attending curious as to what had been discussed behind closed doors during both special sessions. Multiple members of the teacher’s union were present for the meeting. Kirsten Nicholson, president of the union, said she found the board’s recent behavior to
be odd. “This is the first time in my three years as president that we have had two special sessions like this within the summer,” Nichols said. Nicholson added that the 9 p.m. scheduling of the prior special session was also out of the ordinary. “It’s unusual behavior,” she said. Nicholson presided over a June 7 vote of no confidence in District Superintendent Lynch by members of the union. Nichols has said that a lack of communication between teachers and administration was a primary reason for the vote. School board members have also said there are issues of communication within the board and with Superintendent Lynch. Board members Cathcart and Eric Greene posed questions about Lynch’s handling of information on grant money during a June 20 board meeting that also led to another closed door session of the school board. Others attending the event also felt the meeting exacerbated issues of open communications involving the board. Carrie Riplinger, a library clerk at Jackson Park Elementary, said she has two grandchildren attending the district which gave See CLOSED, A16
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