The Sequim School District’s newest administrator is a familiar one.
The district’s board of directors agreed unanimously Monday night to promote Becky Stanton to principal at Helen Haller Elementary School.
Stanton was named Helen Haller’s assistant principal last year. She succeeds Russ Lodge, who announced earlier this year he is taking an elementary school principal position with the Deer Park School District just north of Spokane.
Sequim School Board president Bev Horan said a search and interview committee found four solid candidates and found Stanton stood out.
What made the difference, Horan said, was “her knowledge of the building, her knowledge of the (staff) evaluation process and she’s been making decisions there.”
The committee took into account current Helen Haller Elementary staff recommendations, Horan said.
Stanton has 10 years of teaching experience, with six years at the fourth-grade level and her last four in physical education, kindergarten and, during the 2014-2015 school year, split between kindergarten and “teacher on special assignment”; Stanton served half of her day as a kind of administrative support role in conjunction with studies via the University of Washington–Bothell.
She spent this past school year as Helen Haller’s first assistant principal since 1990 under Lodge, who has been the school’s top administrator since 2012.
Sequim’s board of directors approved Lodge’s resignation on May 16.
Stanton assumes the role on July 1.
Horan said the district will seek to replace someone for the assistant principal position and that the job opening likely will be posted this week.
Top score on audit
The Washington State Auditor recently completed an audit of the Sequim School District and found no problematic issues,” Brian Lewis, Sequim School District’s Director of Business Operations, said.
The state auditor looked at two areas, Lewis said: presentation of financial statements and compliance with federally legislated grant programs.
The audit cost the district $27,000, Lewis said.
New student rep
Tea Gauthun is the Sequim School District Board of Director’s newest student representative, as announced by board president Bev Horan on June 6. Gauthun will be a junior next school year.
The district made the move to replace outgoing student representative Ben Hughes, who graduates on June 10. Senior-to-be Kaylee Gumm is the other school board student representative.
