District invites public to meet prospects

By Pat Grubb & Tara Nelson

Going on past tradition, the Blaine school district board of directors is actively seeking public input as they seek to replace school superintendent Dr. Mary Lynne Derrington.

The board is currently interviewing interested applicants with the help of search consultant John Fotheringham.

The board plans to select two finalists who will be invited to come to the district one at a time on April 5 and 6.

Parents of students and other members of the community are invited to stop by the district office and meet the candidates from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. each day.

There will be a 15-minute presentation at 3:30 p.m. by the candidate followed by an opportunity for questions and answers.

Comment forms will be available for participants to use in evaluating the candidates. All comments will be provided to the board members for their use in selecting the new commissioner.

Derrington, who will be leaving on June 30, has been hired by Western Washington University’s Woodring College of Education in Bellingham. The departing superintendent will be teaching administrators and principals in educational administration programs at the college.

Derrington has been teaching at WWU as an adjunct professor for more than 15 years and expects a comfortable transition.

“I’ve enjoyed working with the team here and it’s been an incredible experience,” she said. “It went fast, but this opportunity presented itself and I could not pass it by.”

School board member Pebble Griffin said the board will miss her dedication. “Her leaving is certainly our loss,” she said. “We’ll miss her, but the opportunity arose unexpectedly and we’d never hold someone back.”

Derrington was hired as Blaine superintendent in July of 2003. Prior to that, she worked as superintendent in the Chimacum, school district for eight years and assistant superintendent in Port Angeles.