Local school district gets rid of assistant superintendents in ‘realigning’ effort
The Peninsula School District is making changes at the district level. It starts with letting its two assistant superintendents go.
PSD made the announcement to district staff in an email March 8. Shana Nash, a spokesperson for the district shared a copy of the email with the Gateway March 13.
In the email PSD leadership said the two positions are being “phased out.”
Dan Gregory has been the assistant superintendent for 14 years. John Hellwich has been the other assistant superintendent for 10 years.
When asked for additional information about the circumstances of their departure, Chief Financial Officer Ashley Murphy said: “The district cannot comment on individual positions at this time.”
Superintendent Krestin Bahr told the Gateway Friday that she feels “it is inappropriate to discuss individual circumstances publicly.”
Murphy also said she couldn’t answer if Gregory and Hellwich would finish out the school year.
Gregory sent the Gateway a statement Friday afternoon.
“Initially, handing diplomas to all three of my children was not a goal I had set for myself, but it emerged as one over the past few years,” he said in his statement. “After serving 14 years in this role and 23 years with the District, and now having achieved the goal of presenting diplomas to all three of my children, I feel it is time for a change.”
Gregory said he and Bahr spoke before the recent Winter Break, and that he told her come June he intended to end his time with PSD.
“Working in Peninsula for the past 23 years has been an honor, and I have been privileged to collaborate with exceptional, caring educators and outstanding community members who are dedicated to the students’ best interests in PSD,” he said in his statement. “I am thankful for this experience and eagerly anticipate embarking on a new adventure and facing new challenges.”
Hellwich did not respond to the Gateway’s request for comment.
‘The roles are going to be a little bit different’
The plan is to turn the two superintendent positions into two new positions: a chief of schools position and a deputy chief of schools position.
“The roles are going to be a little bit different, but they’re still relatively the same,” Bahr said. “Our primary objective really is aligning our resources with our core mission and values.”
That includes building leaders throughout the district, she said.
“My goal as a superintendent is to have long term sustainability and success of the organization,” Bahr said.
Both positions have already been posted online with a deadline for applications of March 29.
When asked if Gregory or Hellwich plan to apply for either position, Murphy said she couldn’t comment on that.
“The chief of schools is a key executive leader in Peninsula School District, charged with directing our schools towards unparalleled excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement,” according to the job posting. “This role is instrumental in executing the district’s strategic vision, ensuring accountability, fostering educational advancement, and evolving leadership capabilities within all schools.”
The salary will be similar to the assistant superintendent position, offering $187,147 to $207,493 a year, according to the job posting.
“The deputy chief of schools serves as a critical leadership role within the Peninsula School District, directly supporting the chief of schools in guiding our schools towards achieving unparalleled excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement,” according to the job posting. “This position plays a vital role in the execution of the district’s strategic vision, enhancing educational programs, and fostering leadership capabilities within all schools.”
The salary will be similar to an executive director position, offering $167,096 to $185,262 a year, according to the job posting.
The assistant superintendents are not the only positions changing.
The school district said in the email to staff they are also “replacing the Director of Secondary Teaching & Learning & Arts.”
The position is currently held by James Cantonwine. He’s been in the role for about a year. Before that he was the Director of Research & Assessment for four years.
The Gateway reached out to Cantonwine for comment, but did not get a response. When asked why he is being replaced, Murphy said she couldn’t comment.
This position has not been posted yet. Murphy said she could not answer when it would be posted or how much the position pays, and said updates can be expected in the coming weeks.
The district is also working to restore positions that faced budget cuts in 2022, they said in the email. One of those is Cantonwine’s former position. The Research & Assessment position is returning for the 2024-2025 school year. More information on this position should come in a few weeks, too, Murphy said.
“I’m really excited about being able to restore at a time where many school districts are in the boat that we were last year,” Bahr said. “They are having to cut positions and or move people around. We are at a place where we are restoring the hours that were lost for the employees that we have this year.”
Bahr said last year’s budget cuts were painful.
“We are in a different place financially because we have been so conservative, and we will continue to be conservative as an organization because we believe the people that we have in place, they need to have compensation that is as good as we can,” she said.
A new organizational chart that outlines positions and who they report to will completed prior to July 1, Bahr said.
The district’s email said in part: “Our focus on our strategic plan is more crucial than ever, and last year’s budget reductions across the system have allowed us to refocus and realign structures to better support the goals the board has set forth.”
“This strategic realignment and restoration of positions is the next piece in our dedication to academic excellence and fostering environments that support current needs and future aspirations,” the email said.
To apply for open positions in PSD, visit www.psd401.net/jobs.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated with comments from Superintendent Krestin Bahr and Assistant Superintendent Dan Gregory.
This story was originally published March 15, 2024 at 12:26 PM.
