Sequim School District added a new face to its administration starting July 1.
Superintendent Gary Neal announced a recommendation at the school Board of Directors meeting on April 16 to hire Jennifer Maughan as the district’s new assistant superintendent.
The Board unanimously approved (with President Heather Short absent) Neal’s recommendation to hire Maughan.
Neal said the district and Maughan have not discussed a contract yet, but once a contract is established she will start July 1.
“We are excited for Jennifer to join our team and the Sequim Community,” Neal said.
“Her skill set and experience will be a great fit for our district.”
Neal said Interim Assistant Superintendent Stephanie Parker would finish her part-time contract on June 30 and go back to retirement. Parker was hired as a part-time interim assistant superintendent on Oct. 31, 2017.
Maughan was at the board meeting Monday night and talked about her experience as a science and English teacher, dean of students, and assistant principal at Seattle Public Schools and was recently a principal at Highline Public Schools starting in 2010. She also earned the 2016 South Puget Sound Principal of the Year Award.
The Board also approved a change in Randy Hill’s contract to make him permanent director of human resources.
Hill was approved as interim director of human resources in December of 2017. He previously was serving as Sequim High School’s assistant principal, which was then filled as a split position of interim assistant principal by Tom Anderson and Mary Ann Unger.
Ballot boxes
Craig Stevenson and Dave Shreffler, Representatives of Sequim Family Advocates, a nonprofit group serving as a political voice and advocate for children and families in Sequim and Eastern Clallam County, presented to the board and district administration asking for approval of two ballot boxes to be put at Greywolf Elementary School and Sequim High School’s parking lot.
Representatives said they were requesting the board to pass a motion to put ballot boxes at these two locations in Sequim School District.
They said if the district allowed this, it would “better the general vicinity” by increasing voter participation in the area and that “Sequim is barely in compliance with one ballot box,” located at 651 W. Washington St.
Stevenson said this would be of no cost to the district to install the ballot boxes and that was the role of Sequim Family Advocates.
The board later unanimously approved permission to allow two ballot boxes to be put on Sequim School District property. The board also made the provision that the district has the discretion to find the best locations for these ballot boxes.
“We would tell the County auditor that we have some locations we’re willing to put (ballot boxes) to help the auditor make a decision on where they actually go,” Neal said.
However, Neal said the County auditor has the final call on whether or not the ballot boxes will be implemented on school property.
Sequim High School senior social studies and AP government teacher Mike Lippert spoke in favor of putting ballot boxes on school property.
“We’ve made an incredible effort to tell these kids very clearly ‘I don’t care who or what you vote for, you just gotta vote’ because it’s our civic responsibility to vote,” Lippert said.
“For you guys to put those boxes anywhere near this school will be an incredible assistance in people who need a safe, secure way to drop a ballot if they don’t have a stamp,” he said.
“We will see in this district our number of voting public skyrocket because it assists them in getting it done.”
Public comments and more
Sequim Parents for Safe Schools member Tracy Swanson thanked the board for its interest in what the group is trying to accomplish, and member Jerry Mote gave recommendations to the board.
Mote said the group wants to make the following recommendations: the creation of a safety task force, setting up a public information forum on safety within Sequim Schools, improving door locks at the schools, adding safety buckets in classrooms, using Security Services Northwest, Inc. Shepherd Shield app and offering the district threat awareness training for free.
Board director Jim Stoffer said the board must follows OSPI’s safety protocols and procedures and wants to make sure everyone is on the same page as far as safety goes.
“We have to follow what the State Board of Education puts out by the laws,” he said. “Yes, we’re elected but we have to follow those policies.”
Stoffer, director Brain Kuh and Neal all have attended a few of Sequim Parents for Safe Schools’ meetings.
Neal said the district will continue to communicate with Sequim Parents for Safe Schools and invite them to the table when it comes to school safety. He said the district is already involved in safety at several levels working with local, county, and regional crisis management teams and he does not think the school needs an additional safety task force.
“We will continue to meet with that group and we’ll help them in whatever way we can to give them the access they need to have success in their goals,” Neal said.
Other board action
The board also approved:
• A bond resolution for $2,295,000 in non-voted debt for the purpose of paying costs of renovating and expanding the Central Kitchen Facility.
• At first reading, language changes to policies regarding Federal and/or State Funded Special Instructional Programs and parent and student rights in administration surveys, analysis or evaluations
• At second reading and approval policies regarding prohibition of corporal punishment and language changes to classified, certificated and supplemental contracts. Changes also were made to paraeducators qualifications via the Every Student Succeeds Act and House Bill 1115 which establishes qualifications for all paraeducators, including paraprofessionals in Title 1 Schools or programs.
The next regular Board meeting will be at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 7, at the Sequim High School Library, 601 N. Sequim Ave.
