QUILCENE — Quilcene School District is searching for a new superintendent after its school board decided not to renew Superintendent Wally Lis’ contract.
School Board member Viviann Kuehl said the district wanted to go in a “different direction” with the position; the board decided the new superintendent also would be the district’s special education director.
“That’s an option we’re trying to pursue,” she said. “What we have going on right now, we’re at the stage of the search where we’re getting input from the community about what their ideas are.”
Records show the board went into executive session at least eight times in 2017 for superintendent evaluations or performance reviews.
The board discussed superintendent evaluations or performance reviews during closed-door sessions in January, May, June, July, September, October and November of 2017.
She said Lis’ contract says he can be evaluated up to three times in a year and can have evaluations at his request.
“We ran out of time and it carried over for many meetings,” Kuehl said. “Some of those went, they got continued to the next meeting.”
The district is hosting a community stakeholder meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the school’s multi-purpose room at 294715 U.S. Highway 101.
Kuehl said board members will not be present. Instead, a representative of recruiting firm McPherson & Jacobson will gather input and report back to the board.
“That way people can say things they may or may not want attributed to them,” she said. “We’re trying to make it as open as possible.”
Lis said Wednesday he couldn’t comment on the district posting his position and he couldn’t say whether he still wanted the job.
“I’m in a position where, because it’s an open position, I’m going to refer everything to the School Board president,” Lis said.
Lis was selected in 2011 as the district’s superintendent. At the time he was also the superintendent at Brinnon School District.
At the time, the districts opted to share the position because together they could offer a higher salary and attract better candidates.
In 2015, Brinnon School District selected Patricia Beathard as its new superintendent as Lis began full time in Quilcene.
In February 2016, the Quilcene School Board discussed “superintendent supervision” during executive session, though no action was taken.
The Quilcene School Board opted not to extend Lis’ contract in December 2016, according to meeting minutes. It was discussed that due to the budget the board would like to keep flexible and exercise its right not to extend the contract.
Board member Paul Mahan made the motion not to renew the contract and Kuehl seconded.
Kuehl said the board rejected a motion to offer Lis the new position in a 3-to-2 decision and opted to open the position up for applications.
She said Lis is working on a two-year contract that is set to expire June 30.
“I don’t think the time line has been finalized yet,” she said. “I think we would hope to have somebody on board by April, or at least have someone selected by then.”
She said the board is still working out the time line and what the salary would be for the new superintendent.
She said the recruiter will guide the board. During a special meeting Monday, it was recommended the board gather input from the community.
Kuehl said the board selected McPherson & Jacobson as the recruiter during the board’s regular meeting Jan. 17.
Two firms had put in bids and the board selected McPherson & Jacobson’s $7,000 bid over Northwest Leadership Associates’ $9,800 bid.
“We’re early in the process and as this goes forward there will be more details,” Kuehl said.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com.
