La Conner's new principal chosen

Cheryl Sullivan loves to run and quilt and will soon add juggling to the mix.

As in juggling school administrative duties on the La Conner middle and high school campuses.

Sullivan, a native of Ketchikan, Alaska, was tabbed from among four finalists to serve as principal and instructional leader for the two local schools.

La Conner School District officials confirmed the choice of Sullivan, presently an administrator at Chief Sealth in Seattle, following two recent public forums featuring the principal candidates.

She succeeds Marsha Hanson, who announced her retirement earlier this year.

Sullivan, a doctoral student with nine years of administrative experience, is looking forward to establishing roots in La Conner and enrolling her 11-year-old daughter here.

“I like the idea of her being in a smaller school setting,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan was well received during her turn at the local “meet-and-greet” sessions. She received high marks for enthusiasm, projecting a positive, can-do spirit and promoting a pro-active approach to student conduct and discipline.

“I’m not a big fan of student suspensions,” she said at one point. “All that does is give that student a three- or four-day weekend.”

She prefers in-school suspension plus a little “old-school” work ethic as remedies for most misconduct.

“If a student puts a hole in the wall,” she explains, “let’s have that student spend time with our maintenance personnel fixing that hole.”

Sullivan, though, anticipates her new job being more about building bridges to the community than deciding how to repair bricks and mortar.