PORT TOWNSEND — David Engle, who is winding up his fourth and final school year as the Port Townsend School District superintendent, intends to spend a good deal of his remaining time on the job thanking the people who supported his programs.
“I want to thank people personally for their part in keeping the kids connected,” he said.
His last day will be June 30.
He plans to attend a family reunion before driving across Canada to Newfoundland.
After that, Engle expects to live in Port Townsend, working with the Port Townsend Rotary Club and other organizations.
He hasn’t determined to what degree he will be involved with the school district but expects it to be minimal, he said.
He will give his successor, Bremerton High School Principal John Polm, room to move.
“I will stay out of the way so John can establish his own programs,” Engle said.
“The good thing about a leadership change is you get someone with new ideas and energies.”
This week, Engle met with Polm, who begins in the new job July 1.
“John understands the momentum we have and wants to keep it going,” Engle said.
“He can take the vision farther than I’ve been able to do.”
Engle, 67, began as superintendent in 2012, at a time when the high school’s Redskins mascot was controversial.
The school mascot eventually evolved into the Redhawks following a year of studying the issue and another year of student and community input.
“In the wisdom of my old age, I determined we needed to take a slow approach rather than being impulsive and reactive,” Engle said.
“We were able to make a positive change, which led to other things, like getting a new school built.”
In February, voters approved a $40.9 million construction bond by 73.23 percent. The money will fund the building of a new elementary school and other capital projects.
During his tenure, Engle has periodically distributed “Shining Star” awards to students, faculty and community members who made a special effort for the school district.
During the last meeting, Nathanael O’Hara, School Board chairman, read a list of Engle’s accomplishments, which included the establishment of the maritime discovery place-based learning curriculum and introducing innovations for meals, technology and health-based programs.
“Dr. Engle developed innumerable partnerships with individuals and organizations throughout the community, county and region,” O’Hara said.
“These authentic partnerships allowed us to be more strategic and focused in our district’s work.”
Along with the Northwest Maritime Center and other partners, Engle developed the Maritime Discovery Initiative, meant to inject all curriculum levels with a maritime theme.
“It seems so simple but is not something that everybody does, to turn outward and use what’s in your community,” Engle said.
“We are lucky because we live in a community where we can use people’s skill sets and help us leverage our local assets in ways that are not going on around the state.”
Engle, saying he “tends to overreach,” noted that among the goals he has not met are securing a future for the dilapidated Lincoln Building and the further development of the Mountain View campus, which is now leased by the city for various offices.
The most enjoyable part of his job is witnessing student accomplishments while the most unpleasant is paperwork, he said.
“I don’t get a constant stream of happy people coming through this office,” Engle said.
“I needed to approach this job with creativity and a sense of joy.
“You can’t let the negative stuff beat you down.”
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
