QUILCENE – Quilcene School District’s new part-time superintendent is William Miller, a 30-year veteran of school administration whose most recent post was as superintendent of the Wahluke School District in Mattawa, east of Yakima.
The Quilcene School Board announced its choice for the $66,000-per-year part-time job on Thursday.
Members had interviewed three candidates on Wednesday.
One of the candidates was the district’s former superintendent, Dave Andersen.
“It was a real tough decision,” said Ken Dressler, school board member.
“It was a meat grinder.”
Miller left the Wahluke district position in spring 2006 after working there for 14 years.
Before that, he had served as a school administrator in Alaska, Dressler said.
“He came very highly recommended by everybody we talked to,” Dressler said.
Miller will begin work later this month. The first day of classes will be Sept. 4.
Dave Anderson, who had held the dual positions of principal and superintendent, announced his retirement in May after four years with the Quilcene School District.
The school board already had planned to reorganize the administration to cut costs.
That paved the way for the assistant principal, Jim Betteley, to take over as principal, which then eliminated the assistant principal position and opened up a part-time superintendent position.
Andersen applied for the job.
“We really appreciate David Andersen,” Dressler said.
“We hope we made the right decision. We’re trading a known for an unknown.”
The main issues facing the school district are financial, Dressler said.
A maintenance and operation levy will go before the voters in February. Buildings are in need of either renovation or rebuilding.
The school board felt Miller will be able to guide the district through these financial troubles, Dressler said.
“We believe he has some fresh resources,” Dressler said.
“The guy’s been around the block.”
