BRINNON — The new superintendent for Brinnon and Quilcene school districts will start work July 1.
Wally F. Lis, who is the principal of Rainier High School in Rainier, was chosen to take over from Quilcene Superintendent Dave Anderson and Brinnon Superintendent Nancy Thompson, both of whom are retiring.
The job pays $92,000, with the salary split between the two districts.
The school boards of the two districts chose Lis unanimously Monday night.
Lis, 56, was chosen for the position over Martin Schmidt, superintendent of the Gorman (Calif.) Independent School District.
“It was a very tough decision,” said Lorna Ward, Quilcene School Board member.
“It came down to the wire and could have gone either way.”
Valerie Schindler, Brinnon School Board chairwoman, said Lis “was the best choice to serve the divergent interests of both schools.”
The idea to combine the two positions arose earlier this year when both Anderson and Thompson announced their retirement.
During the selection process, members of both boards said the action was not a consolidation of the two districts, but a combination of resources.
A combined committee of the Brinnon and Quilcene school boards narrowed the choice from seven applicants to two finalists who met with students, staff and the community in a series of meetings.
Lis, who worked in the North Kitsap School District for seven years ending in 2009, said he had come to know the staff and administration of the Brinnon and Quilcene school districts during that time and was “impressed by their passion and commitment to education.”
Lis said managing the two districts would be a challenge for which his time in North Kitsap prepared him.
“When I was at North Kitsap, there were high schools in Kingston and Poulsbo, and each had a different personality,” he said.
“I expect the same will be true of Quilcene and Brinnon.”
Lis, who is engaged to be married, still owns property in Poulsbo, where he will live while looking for a permanent home on the west side of Hood Canal.
“I’ll get started in the job and then decide where I want to live within the districts,” he said.
Lis said he is ready for the variety that faces a small-district superintendent.
“In a large district, you can specialize, but in a small district, you need to wear many hats,” he said.
Quilcene — made up of an elementary, middle and high school — has 400 students plus 15 in preschool.
Brinnon, which offers classes only through the eighth grade, has 50 students, including 13 preschoolers.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.