The Juneau School District has named principals and assistant principals for its reorganized schools next year. The announcement comes after the school board reaffirmed its plan to close three buildings and combine the district’s two high schools.
Next year, sixth graders will stay at elementary schools, seventh and eighth graders will be at Thunder Mountain Middle School and ninth through 12th graders will be at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé.
School closures mean fewer principal and assistant principal positions across the district, but Superintendent Frank Hauser said they didn’t have to lay anyone off.
“We’ve got a great group of administrators that are going to continue to do great things in the Juneau School District, for the community, and I’m excited about the placements,” he said.
The new Thunder Mountain Middle School will be led by principal Shawn Arnold and assistant principal Laura Scholes. Arnold is the current principal at Thunder Mountain High School and Scholes is the assistant principal at Dzantik’i Heeni Middle School.
At Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé, Principal Paula Casperson will keep her role. She’ll be joined by assistant principals Kelly Stewart, from Thunder Mountain, and Luke Gunkel, currently the district’s activities and Community Schools coordinator.
Floyd Dryden Middle School Principal Kristy Germain has been named the district’s Director of Operations starting next year. She’ll oversee district maintenance, information technology, Community Schools and RALLY, the district’s child care program.
“We’re just really excited to have Principal Germain be part of the cabinet for next school year,” Hauser said. “Her leadership skills, organizational skills, the experience that she brings with her – she’s going to be a great asset.”
Current JDHS assistant principal Nate Creel will become principal of Kax̱dig̱oowu Héen Elementary, replacing Elizabeth Pisel-Davis, who’s retiring. And Dzantik’i Heeni Middle School Principal Molly Yerkes will become principal of the Tlingit Culture Language and Literacy program. Yerkes replaces Eldri Westmoreland, who is going on a leave of absence while she pursues a doctorate degree in Indigenous studies with a focus on education.