SEQUIM — Sequim School District has issued notices to provisional employees that their contracts will not be renewed for the next school year.
But Randy Hill, Human Resources director, said district officials hope that “through attrition that we get a lot of these people back” before classes resume this fall.
Notices were issued by Tuesday to five provisional teachers and five teachers who were one-year leave replacements, Hill said.
Since then two have agreed to come back on a part-time basis, he said Thursday.
Provisional employees are those who are within his or her first three years of employment at the district or are coming over from another district within his or her first three years of employment.
The move did not constitute a reduction of force, according to collective bargaining terminology, because it did not involve teachers who have continuing status since they have passed the three-year threshold, Hill said.
The decision to send the notices was made due to “the uncertainty of educational programs,” he said.
“Every year the district takes a look at the programs and sees if it can offer opportunities,” he said. “We are just uncertain of what we can offer.”
Hill said employees who are issued notices would have the option to come back and apply for his or her position again in the future.
On May 7, the board approved on the consent agenda seven certificated employee resignations and one retirement. Allyson Cundiff, Helen Haller assistant principal, was among those who submitted a resignation that is effective June 30.
Cundiff was hired in the fall of 2016 from a school in Bremerton working with students in pre-kindergarten through third grade. Her role as an assistant principal included some instruction leadership, leading some grade level teams and evaluation of teachers. Hill said the process of hiring another assistant principal has not been discussed yet.
In other news
Richard James, Clallam County Transportation program manager announced his department is applying for a Clallam County Safe Route to School grant from the state Department of Transportation to create 5,000 feet of sidewalk from Carlsborg Road and U.S. Highway 101 to connect to the east- and west-bound routes of the Olympic Discovery Trail to encourage children to walk and bike more to and from school.
A sidewalk also would be installed beside Smithfield Road to connect Carlsborg Road sidewalk to the existing Miller Road side walk.
“We’re trying to get more children to walk and bike to school,” James said.
He asked the board to approve submitting a letter of support for the grant application. The process would start in 2019 and would be complete by 2021.
Samantha Troxler presented the district’s McKinney Vento/Homeless Youth program and services and said that 166 students have identified themselves as homeless for the 2017-2018 school year.
Board directors met for a special meeting Monday at Sequim Animal Hospital where they went into executive session for about two hours “for the purpose of discussing the superintendent’s evaluation” with no action taken.
The next board meeting is set for 6 p.m. May 21, at Helen Haller Elementary School Library, 350 W. Fir St.
