Former director to teach at school

Published 1:30 am Monday, June 15, 2026

SEQUIM — Changes are continuing at Five Acre School following a series of staffing and board member changes last month, including firings, a rehiring and resignations.

One major change was the dismissal of Program Director Sarah Bones on May 5, followed by mediation sessions that led to her being rehired as the school’s Explorer Class lead teacher for fourth through sixth grades this fall.

Bones wrote in an email that she had been the school’s director for nearly three years and a teacher since 2013, and she was not given an explanation for her firing nor did she receive any prior warning about consideration to end her employment.

Bones said she was called into a meeting during the school day on May 5 and was offered a severance agreement to release claims against the then-board members. She was then escorted off campus in front of students and staff, which Bones said was “upsetting and destabilizing for students and staff alike.”

In an email to families obtained by the Sequim Gazette, new board members, now at a capacity of nine, apologized to Bones and the community for the manner in which Bones was removed.

“We recognize that this action caused significant pain and was profoundly disrespectful given her 13 years of faithful service to Five Acre School,” wrote Shahida Shahrir, the school board’s vice chair. “In addition, it created chaos and confusion for staff and families.”

In a separate email, Shahrir wrote that Bones’ employment was not terminated for any illegal, unethical or unsafe conduct, but rather due to leadership decisions and differences in vision.

Bones said she’s glad to be moving forward.

“I am excited to be returning this fall as the Explorer Class lead teacher,” she wrote. “In many ways, this is a full-circle transition for me. I was first hired in 2013 as the Explorer Class teacher, and returning to the Explorer classroom feels deeply grounding.

“I look forward to being back in our community in a role I am passionate about and one that helps facilitate healing in our community.”

Director position open

Autumn Piontek-Walsh, former owner of Five Acre School from 2013-19 before it became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is one of nine new board members. She also served as the interim executive director of the school through the end of the last week of school.

She said Five Acre School is still in the middle of a leadership transition.

“The goal is to move forward for the sustainability of the school,” she said.

“The new board is dedicated to making sure that they are transparent and that they make good decisions about who the next executive director will be, and then that person’s job is to sort of do the rest.”

The executive director position was posted on the school’s website and has already received applications from a previous posting. Piontek-Walsh said she hopes to make a hire by July 1.

Following mediation, it was mutually determined Bones would not be reinstated as director. Bones confirmed she will not apply for the open director position.

Earlier this year, interim development director Merissa Koller with Mission Consulting, LLC, was brought on to oversee campaign strategy and long-term efforts to help the school purchase its site. However, Piontek-Walsh said Koller resigned from the role on May 20 after submitting a strategic plan to the school.

Koller could not be reached for comment.

Teacher Audrey Gipson, who briefly served as interim director after Bones was fired, also resigned.

Piontek-Walsh said board members who served prior to the current nine also resigned, including Susan Craig the day before Bones was fired, Serena Williams and Lindsay Hood in mid-May, and Julie Novak.

Six of the current nine board members are parents. Piontek-Walsh said they would like to diversify the board as the current members largely represent a call to action to help bring stability.

As of last week, the board members are Muir Petersen, Theresa Churchill, Shahrir, Nick Batcheller, Sneha Couvillion, Piontek-Walsh, Emily Perkins, Kristin Smith and Irie Brown.

Lease and purchase

Five Acre School’s leadership originally was planning to wrap up a capital campaign this month to purchase the site from owner Juanita Ramsey-Jevne and her son Will Jevne.

Piontek-Walsh said that project will be postponed as they focus on hiring a new director and getting a lease for the new school year.

“The sale of the Five Acre School property is paused for now,” Jevne’s Five Acre Enterprises said in a statement. “We hope to resume sale discussions in future. We are supportive of the continuation of the Five Acre School program and are working with the Board towards renewing the lease for the next school year.”

Piontek-Walsh said the school secured a lease through the end of August, and they’re working on another for the next school year.

Five Acre School was established in 1996 by William “Bill” Jevne and Ramsey-Jevne with a dedication to foster curiosity, resilience and a love of learning in children through a whole-child approach. Bill died in 2017.

Data and finances

An email was sent to families about a data breach that Piontek-Walsh said remains alleged and is currently under investigation. An IT consultant estimated it’s about two-thirds complete.

As for the school’s finances, Piontek-Walsh said they’re operating within the current school year’s budget and anticipate having a budget soon so they can offer teachers positions.

Tuition was previously due on May 15, but it was extended to May 31. A consultant recently received those totals and will input them to estimate the school’s staffing model.

Piontek-Walsh said they had lost some families due to the recent turnover, but enrollment still looks good with a number of people taking a wait-and-see approach to see what the staffing model will look like. The board also is considering raises for staff.

Through the changes, the board is trying to be transparent, Piontek-Walsh said, including more emails to families and open meetings.

In a June 4 email to families, board members expressed their intent for healing “to refocus on what unites us: our shared commitment to the students, families, teachers, and staff who make Five Acre such a special place. Differences of opinion do not diminish our shared commitment to the well-being of our children and the future of this school; they allow us to practice compassion and support each other’s unique perspectives.”

For more about the school, visit fiveacreschool.org.

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Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. He can be reached by email at matthew.nash@sequimgazette.com.