JOYCE — Crescent School District Superintendent Tom Anderson is retiring six years after accepting what was expected to be a short-term interim position.
“I thought it was a matter of about six weeks,” Anderson said Thursday afternoon before that night’s School Board meeting, where he planned to submit his resignation.
Anderson took the position, which includes acting as principal of Crescent High School, after Superintendent Doug Kubalek suffered a stroke in August 2006.
Kubalek died about a week and a half later, and Anderson agreed to stay on for the remainder of the year.
Six years later, just weeks before his 66th birthday, Anderson decided it was time to make his exit into retirement.
“My wife has been extremely patient with me,” he said.
“This is a good time to leave the district to a new, younger superintendent because the district is in a good position,” he added.
The district is in good shape because of a four-year property tax levy voters approved in February, increasing enrollment, an excellent teaching staff and an improved community opinion of the district, he said.
‘Time to bow out’
“It’s time to bow out,” Anderson said.
The board was expected to accept Anderson’s retirement with regret.
“He’s been wonderful,” said Tracey Grover, chairwoman of the Crescent School District Board of Directors, on Thursday.
“I’m sorry to see him go, but we knew this was coming,” Grover said.
Grover said she expects to jump right into the process to replace Anderson.
‘Time to bow out’ ‘Like to clone him’
“We’d like to clone him,” Grover said.
The board is expected to hire a firm that specializes in academic administrator searches to find a pool of candidates for the position.
Anderson said he will remain in his current position until his successor is in place.
He is the fifth North Olympic Peninsula schools superintendent to depart recently.
The Sequim School Board is expected to choose a superintendent today to replace Bill Bentley, who left after five years for personal reasons in June. Four finalists have visited the district this week.
David Engle will begin work as superintendent of the Port Townsend School District this summer, replacing Gene Laes, who served for two years after taking over from Tom Opstad, who left for another position in 2010.
Wally Lis started work as the joint superintendent for Brinnon and Quilcene school districts last July.
He replaced Quilcene Superintendent Dave Anderson and Brinnon Superintendent Nancy Thompson, both of whom retired.
Said Anderson: “Those of us in a profession for a number of years are retiring.”
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
