Sequim School Board directors accepted the resignation of Lawrence “Larry” Jeffryes on July 14 and opened his District 1 seat to applicants through Sept. 5.
In a letter from Jeffryes dated July 10 to board president Eric Pickens and schools’ superintendent Regan Nickels, he wrote that it was “time for me to focus on new priorities, and the board is in capable hands moving forward.”
“The district’s leadership and staff have laid strong foundations for continuous improvement and student success,” Jeffryes wrote.
Board directors agreed to open applications through Sept. 5 with applications available through the district’s website at https://www.sequimschools.org/School_Board/application_process.
Jeffryes was one of five elected board members, and one of three that serve specific geographic regions with his being the western portion of Sequim School District. Two directors are at-large.
Candidate interviews will be conducted at 5:30 p.m. Monday, September 15, at the board’s meeting with a decision likely that night.
The appointed director will join the board on Oct. 6 and serve through November 2026, when the next school board election will be held.
With questions, contact Trayce Norman, executive assistant to the superintendent, at 360-582-3262 or by email to tnorman@sequimschools.org.
Board director Patrice Johnston suggested pushing the application window from August to September in hopes of receiving more interest and applicants; other directors agreed.
Jeffryes was the school board’s Washington State School Directors’ Association representative, and following his resignation, the board elected Michael Rocha to fill the position.
About Jeffryes
According to a 2019 Gazette article, Jeffryes taught in science classrooms at the middle and high school levels in Colorado and New Mexico for 35 years, and he went on to work as a health and safety training specialist at the Los Alamos National Labs for nine years focusing on radiation worker training. He and his wife Shirley, a retired dental hygienist, have two grown daughters.
In an interview, Jeffryes said his father and sister were educators and his mother was a librarian, so he feels that he has teaching in his blood.
Initially, he was on track to study medicine, he said, but in the summer of 1968 he worked as a camp counselor in Colorado where he “felt like I was in my element.”
Jeffryes said he also followed in the footsteps of his high school science teacher, coach and mentor.
He moved to Sequim in 2013.
Jeffryes was appointed in September 2019 to replace Robin Henrikson, who had resigned from the District 1 seat. He also ran unopposed two months later and won the seat, and again in 2023 but in a contested race. He would have served through November 2027.
When he first sought a seat on the board, Jeffryes said his priority would be to improve school infrastructure, maintain a strong and positive relationship with the superintendent and provide a safe and secure environment for learning.
During his six years on the board, Jeffryes worked with four interim/full-time superintendents, and was appointed and then elected a few months before the outbreak of COVID-19.
In 2021, voters approved a four-year $29.7 million Educational Programs & Operations (EP&O) levy, and a four-year, $15 million capital projects levy. In February of this year, voters approved another four-year, approximate $36.2 million EP&O levy renewal, and an approximate $146 million, 20-year construction bond.
Jeffryes wrote in his director resignation letter that it was an honor to serve the students, staff and community, and he thanked the community for supporting the recent levy and bond.
“The Sequim community is in for exciting times ahead due to voter support for education,” he wrote.
Jeffryes, with his wife Shirley nearby, also spoke briefly at the July 14 school board meeting saying he “believed it was the right time for me personally and the school district that I stepped down.”
He encouraged whomever is appointed to his seat to ask questions and do their homework.
“As for me, after 57 years working in education one way or the other, including six years on the board, I’m looking forward to what may come next,” Jeffryes said.
In an interview, Jeffryes said his biggest achievement was helping the school board and district build to be in a better place than when he started.
He said his resignation had no ulterior motives and that it just felt like the right time. Jeffryes said he’s unsure of his next steps and he’s taking life day-by-day to see if retirement sticks.
Fellow board members on July 14 complimented his focus, fiscal-mindedness, mentorship, optimism and heart for children.
Photo courtesy Larry Jeffryes/ A former teacher, Larry Jeffryes moved to Sequim with his wife in 2013. He was appointed to the Sequim School Board in September 2019, elected by voters in November of that year, and was elected again in 2023. Before his resignation, Jeffryes’ term was set to go through November 2027.
Image courtesy Sequim School District/ The vacant District 1 position for Sequim School District’s Board of Directors encompasses the western portion of the school district and residents seeking to apply for the position must live in the yellow area.
