PORT ANGELES — Jane Pryne, Port Angeles School District superintendent, hit the ground running in her first three weeks on the job, she said.
Pryne, who started the position July 1, and the staff have already begun planning for classes beginning in September.
She replaced Gary Cohn, who took up the superintendent position in Everett.
“Right now we’re working hard planning for the in-service days, and I am getting up to speed on everything,” Pryne said.
But chief among her concerns is building relationships.
“I really want to get to know people in the district and out in the community,” Pryne said.
“I want to know what they want and need to be happening.”
Pryne said she is working at getting new people into the right spots for smooth transitions.
“I don’t expect to make any sweeping changes,” she said.
“But there were some things that had already been put into place that I’m trying to ensure the smoothest transition.”
Garry Cameron was selected in April to take up the Port Angeles High School principal position, replacing Scott Harker, who asked for a reassignment and will be an assistant principal at Stevens Middle School.
Nancy Pack, principal at Franklin Elementary School, accepted a position in Kitsap County.
Pryne said she will appoint an interim principal for a year.
“Then, next year, we will go through that search process,” she said.
“The person I select internally is welcome to apply for the job as well, but we will do a wider search to make sure we get the absolute best person for Franklin.”
She said that she has been in each of the school district’s buildings. Through the next several months, she will consider the Long Range Facilities committee’s recommendation to run two bonds over the next decade.
“There will be many discussions to understand what the needs are,” she said.
“And of course, that is really the board’s decision, and we really need to study that and moving toward taking care of those needs.”
She said one area of focus will be to see how all of the schools can improve through the already-implemented continuous school improvement plans.
“Those things and the test scores are important,” she said.
“But for right now, I’m focusing instead on getting to know as many people as possible.”
She encouraged anyone in the schools or community to contact her to meet her or give her ideas.
“The relationships are absolutely the most important part,” she said.
So far, her North Olympic Peninsula experiences have been good, she said.
“The board has been great to work with — it has been very comfortable, and we accomplish a lot of business,” she said.
“I am excited to come to work every day.
“The absolute best part is the people.”
Pryne said she moved into a Port Angeles home in July, and her husband, Jim, would join her after ,packing up their Tuscon, Ariz., home and moving their son Andrew to college in Montana.
“It is really a great thing that right now in the beginning I’m here by myself, because I’m free to work the long hours that I need to — and want to,” she said.
“I keep saying it, but I really am just so excited to be here.”
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
