Sequim School District will see some changes in its administration staff as it looks to fill several positions.

The district recently filled the role of interim assistant superintendent and is looking to fill the positions of executive director of finance and operations and communication engagement coordinator as well.

Stephanie Parker was hired as a part-time interim assistant superintendent after the resignation of Ann Renker who left the district last month due to a family medical situation.

Parker started on Oct. 31 and has a current superintendent certificate and will assist superintendent Gary Neal with overseeing school principals and advisory groups.

Neal said the district is going to wait until “assistant superintendent season” in the spring to hire a full-time position and will release job openings when he believes there will be more interest.

He said after Renker resigned from her full-time position the district could use some of the funds from that position toward direct services.

The district also is looking to replace the role of executive director of finance and operations after previous director Heidi Hietpas recently resigned from her position.

Hietpas was hired as interim executive director of finance and operations in 2016 and later served as director up until her recent resignation.

Neal said she originally was interested in a substitute teaching position but also had experience as a director of finance and operations for another school district.

“She came on when our former director of finance took a job late two summers ago,” Neal said.

“And it put us in a pickle starting a new school year without a finance person,” he said.

Neal said district staff expressed interest to Hietpas in hiring her as an interim of director of finance and operations and she originally made a commitment to the district for four months but her time with the district turned into 14 months.

“Everything after (four months) was just a bonus,” Neal said. “She took on some really big tasks.”

Neal said she now has an opportunity to pursue organic farming but that her work for the district was “exemplary.”

In the meantime, Neal said there is a finance representative from the Olympic Educational Service District 114 who provides services for smaller districts and has been able to help out with the district’s finances.

District office shifts

Neal said the district is looking at possibly combining several district office positions, such as the roles of communication engagement coordinator, family and parent engagement coordinator, and community truancy board (CTB) coordinator into one position.

“One of the things we’re doing is looking at reorganizing the district office,” Neal said.

He said these three positions would fall under the job of a communication engagement coordinator or public relations.

Neal said the other two coordinator positions are required by the district due to state and federal directives.

He said the state’s directive mandates every district has a CTB and the federal directive mandates that a district has an engagement plan in place according to the Every Students Succeeds Act.

Neal said he will be conducting interviews for the communication engagement coordinator position next week and will be conducting interviews for the director of finance and operations soon as well.

Patra Boots also is expected to return to her job as director of information technology in January after being on leave with pay. Her position was temporarily filled by three supplementary contracts that were offered to Maria Seabolt, Maria Roragen and Trayce Norman earlier this year.

Director Howe resigns

On Nov. 6, Sequim School Board of Directors accepted the resignation of director Michael Howe who has held the district no. 2 position since he was sworn in December of 2013.

Board President Heather Short said Howe resigned as of Nov. 1 and the board would not be appointing someone to fill his position.

Howe said he is no longer working at Clallam County Public Utility District and that he is seeking other professional opportunities and would not be able to attend the next board meetings.

“I decided since I can’t participate in a meaningful manner the fairest and honest thing to do was to step down,” Howe said.