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Archive for the ‘Administration’ Category

King bids aloha

Posted in Administration, Everything changes, tagged , , , , on June 27, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Steve King

He’s off to the lands of the pineapple and never-ending sunset.

Coupeville School District Superintendent Steve King ends his six-year tenure in Central Whidbey this week, with a teaching job in Hawaii next on the docket.

As he prepares to depart, he issued the following farewell:

 

Hello Coupeville Community!

I hope this message finds you well.

Tonight’s School District board meeting will be my final meeting and the end of my tenure as your Superintendent.

As I leave Coupeville to relocate closer to family and return to the classroom, I want to express my gratitude for your support and kindness over the past six years.

Becoming your Superintendent in 2018 was an absolute honor and a career dream come true. 

While many unforeseen challenges during my time here took their toll, there is no place I would have rather been than in this incredible Coupeville community.

I have had the honor and privilege of serving in the most supportive community I have ever been a part of.

It is a career highlight to have been able to serve those who serve us over the past decade in both Oak Harbor and Coupeville.

It was an incredible honor being a part of our hardworking and dedicated staff, who are committed to serving Coupeville students.

Most importantly, I have loved being a part of the lives of our students!

I have been able to serve thousands of students in my career in multiple school districts, and the Coupeville students are second to no one.

Thank you all for your continued support and ongoing efforts to support our schools and students. 

I have learned so much from so many wonderful people in Coupeville, and many of you have inspired me more than you’ll ever know.

I wish everyone in Coupeville, especially the students, the very best, and I am truly grateful for the time I was able to serve in this beautiful and amazing place.

With respect and gratitude!

Steve King

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Bonacci lands new gig

Posted in Administration, tagged , , , on June 27, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Sherry Bonacci sends son Landon off to the state baseball tournament.

They hired a fan favorite.

Sherry Bonacci, a 1989 Coupeville grad and a Wolf Female Athlete of the Year back in the day, is immensely popular in her community.

Now, one of the nicest human beings to ever trod the Earth is coming on board as the district’s new administrative assistant to the superintendent.

“Her skillset and history in the district set her apart as an excellent candidate for this critical position,” outgoing Superintendent Steve King said in a statement.

“Sherry will be doing some onboarding and training for this position in July and will officially start in the role in August. Congratulations to Sherry!”

Bonacci, mom to Wolf legend Lindsey and current CHS senior-to-be Landon, will work with incoming superintendent Shannon Leatherwood.

Stephanie and Danny’s sister was previously employed as the district’s special services secretary, a position she has resigned from.

As Coupeville goes through budget cuts, the district is attempting to make reductions through attrition when possible.

King stated the district does not plan to currently replace Bonacci in her former position.

“District leadership and staff will discuss in the upcoming weeks how the workload formerly done by the special services secretary will be absorbed,” he said.

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News-Times alumni rises to the top

Posted in Administration, tagged , , , , on June 26, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Ellen Hiatt

The newsroom at the Whidbey News-Times in the early 1990’s was full of future leaders.

Not me, who went from an underaged, rubber band-shooting Sports Editor to today’s blogger yelling at his computer enough to trouble the outside cats.

But everyone else.

Ellen Hiatt, then the Island Living Editor and the woman who shared a cubicle wall with a younger version of me, is the latest to rise to the statewide throne of power.

She’s currently settling into her new role as Executive Director of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association, replacing Fred Obee, who held the position for 8+ years.

Obee, the man who shocked the world by promoting a 21-year-old David to WNT Sports Editor (then put up with his frequent in-print shenanigans), was Editor in Chief at the News-Times from 1983-1994.

Hiatt, who assigned me some of my first professional freelance stories (and then also put up with my shenanigans), began her career at the News-Times, eventually working there from 1989-1997.

After a long, diverse career, she now heads up the WNPA, the state’s leading advocate for “community newspapers, freedom of the press and open government.”

It’s dedicated to “helping members advance editorial excellence, financial viability, professional development, and a high standard of publication quality and community leadership.”

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Admin contracts ready for approval

Posted in Administration, tagged , , , , , on June 26, 2024| Leave a Comment »

The Coupeville School Board is set to reup four key school administrators at its monthly meeting.

The contracts for Director of Special Services Allyson Cundiff, Director of Finance and Human Resources Brian Gianello, and Principals David Ebersole (Elementary) and Geoff Kappes (High School/Middle School) are included on the consent agenda.

The school board meets this Thursday, June 27 at 5:30 PM in the Kathleen Anderson Boardroom on the CHS/CMS campus.

The contracts, if approved by the board, run from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025.

Pay is set at:

Cundiff: $152,598 for 208 workdays (Step 4 on Admin Salary Schedule)

Ebersole: $175,498 for 212 workdays (Step 12+ on Admin Salary Schedule)

Gianello: $140,796 for 260 workdays (Step 2 on Admin Salary Schedule)

Kappes: $175,334 for 218 workdays (Step 8 on Admin Salary Schedule)

Of the four, Ebersole is slated to make the same as he did during the 2023-2024 school year, while the other three are slightly up, reflecting each administrator taking a step up on the salary schedule.

Kappes was at $172,767 this past school year, while Cundiff was at $144,375 and Gianello earned $137,735.

Cundiff’s new contract has her working eight more days than in 2023-2024, while the remaining trio are contracted for the same number of days.

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Coupeville’s former super Supe lands big job

Posted in Administration, tagged , , , , , on June 21, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Dr. Jim Shank and daughter Ashlie hang out at a game in 2018. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The good doctor is off to Utah once more.

Former Coupeville Schools Superintendent Dr. Jim Shank will head up the Emery County School District in Huntington after being hired earlier this week.

As district superintendent, he will oversee two high schools, two middle schools, and six elementary schools.

Shank, who was a finalist when Coupeville replaced the departing Steve King earlier this year, has most recently been employed by the North Beach School District.

During his stint on Central Whidbey, which ran from 2013-2018, the dapper doctor was instrumental in numerous projects being completed.

This included, but wasn’t limited to, a new track oval and facilities, new bleachers in the gym, a new stadium at Mickey Clark Field, and the creation of the Wall of Fame in the CHS gym.

He also was a huge supporter when we held the 101st anniversary of Coupeville High School boys’ basketball.

Before arriving on Whidbey, Dr. Shank was a principal and Director of Federal Programs with the Idaho Falls School District.

He then served as a superintendent in Juab, Utah, and followed up his Coupeville stint with jobs in Idaho before returning to Washington.

Three of his and Sallie’s children — Matt, Brian, and Ashlie — attended Coupeville schools, with the first two of that trio graduating from CHS.

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