Puyallup school district superintendent to ‘step aside’ next month
Puyallup schools superintendent Timothy Yeomans and the school board announced Friday he plans to step down as the board searches for his replacement.
Yeomans last official day as a full-time employee will be Jan. 6. He will continue to work “as needed” until his retirement in August 2020, board president Kathy Yang told The Herald.
Yang said Yeomans will remain a resource and can be called in by the district to consult. The board will vote to amend his contract on Jan. 6. He will continue to collect his regular salary until his retirement date, which according to The News Tribune 2017-2018 salary archive, was $319,092 annually.
“He is stepping aside for a smooth transition for the next superintendent,” Yang said.
The school board will interview six candidates to replace Yeomans on Jan. 25 and looks to announce a new superintendent in the beginning of February. Yang said the transition was the sole reason for Yeomans’ early departure.
“Transitions are always awkward and difficult for the outgoing,” she said. “Because we have to make decisions about levy and staffing budget, the new superintendent should be making those decisions, and (Yeomans) said maybe that’s the best thing for him.”
District staff received an email Friday stating Yeomans will no longer be in the office.
“At this point in time Dr. Yeomans has expressed a desire to step away from his day-to-day responsibilities in order to allow a clear focus on the process of determining new leadership,” the district-wide email said.
Yeomans oversaw the district during a tenuous teacher strike in 2018 that left a rift between teachers and the administration. Teachers claimed the district wasn’t following through with an effort to reshuffle education funds and increase teacher salaries.
Yeomans announced his retirement five months later. During his tenure as Puyallup’s superintendent, voters passed a $292 million construction bond in 2015 to renovate district elementary schools and add a new one. The bond was the first to pass in the district in 14 years.
The bond also funded new projects like the Kessler Center for administrative and non-traditional learning.
Before starting at Puyallup in 2012, Yeomans was the superintendent of Meridian School District from 2007 to 2012. He earned a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from the University of Washington.
Until a candidate replaces Yeomans, his responsibilities will be temporarily transferred to assistant superintendent Vince Pecchia.
This story was originally published December 20, 2019 at 4:00 PM.
