Shannon Leatherwood
There’s a first time for everything.
The Coupeville School Board made its selection to replace departing Superintendent Steve King in an executive session Wednesday, choosing the only one of four finalists who does not have previous experience in the job.
Shannon Leatherwood, currently the Principal at Spanaway Middle School, is scheduled to start her new job in July.
She emerged from a final four which included Tim LaGrange, Scott Peacock, and Dr. Jim Shank, who previously led Coupeville schools from 2013-2018.
The new superintendent, who has a Master of Education degree from Gonzaga University and a Bachelor of Education from Saint Martin’s University, has continued her education through Central Washington University and Washington State University.
Leatherwood has worked in the Bethel School District the past seven years, with a seven-year stint in Tumwater schools prior to that.
She was selected as the 2023 Washington State Secondary Principal of the Year for her work at Spanaway Middle School.
Coupeville School Board President Morgan White released the following statement from the board Thursday morning:
Dear Coupeville Community,
The Coupeville School District Board of Directors is proud to announce that Ms. Shannon Leatherwood has been selected as the next Superintendent of Coupeville Schools.
We were fortunate to have four excellent finalists, and our decision-making process was not easy.
After a thorough evaluation of input from the community, school staff, students, and administrators, we feel confident, excited and hopeful about the future of our school system.
Ms. Leatherwood has an incredible track record of academic excellence, financial responsibility, experience with capital projects, grant writing, and team building.
We believe that she brings the energy, passion, vision, values, and skills required to implement and execute our strategic plan.
She has been recognized across the state and nationally for her abilities to lead teams and improve school systems.
Ms. Leatherwood grew up in a small Washington town and comes to us from the Bethel School District.
Her employment is pending a background check and successful contract negotiation which we expect to be finalized by the end of the month.
Thank you to all of our stakeholders for assisting with this process.
Your direction, guidance, and input was not taken lightly and we are so thankful to have a community that prioritizes education and cares for our students and staff.
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