Sloniker and Hiller on La Conner school board

Comings and goings continue with the La Conner School Board.

The school district’s governing panel lost its most senior member, Brad Smith. He submitted his resignation June 19. Smith represented District 3, the Shelter Bay area, for 14 years and was the board’s liaison with the state legislature.

La Conner High seniors Avery Sloniker and MacQuaid Hiller were welcomed aboard as new student representatives for the 2020-21 academic year during the same June 22 video-conferenced meeting.

Sloniker and Hiller will succeed recently graduated seniors Dom Wilbur and Yareli Lopez-Fernandez as student voices on the Board.

The Smith resignation is the most recent change atop the school hierarchy.

Amanda Bourgeois was appointed to the board earlier this year when Marlys Baker, who had been elected to the Swinomish director district seat last fall, resigned to move with her family to Mount Vernon.

La Conner Middle and High School Principal Todd Torgeson announced his resignation this spring and has been succeeded in that role by Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Kathy Herrera.

Superintendent Dr. Whitney Meissner resigned, effective yesterday, to take an administrative post in the Lake Washington school district.

In addition, four veteran staff members have retired. They are elementary school teacher Jenny Mortenson, elementary school secretary Ann Van Pelt, nurse Maggie Woodard and custodian Ken Allen.

In related notes:

• The La Conner Rotary Club has donated funds to cover outstanding student meal balances.

• La Conner Schools has received over $4,000 in donations to purchase yearbooks for students.

• The La Conner Education Association (LEA) submitted a statement praising collaborative teamwork employed on all levels to navigate the end of the school year through the COVID-19 crisis.

• Finance Director Bonnie Haley reported at last week’s school board meeting that the La Conner Schools Food Services Department served 40,000 student meals during the pandemic.

• La Conner Elementary faculty members Cammy Alumbres, Shegay Vanderpool and Kerry Salaz shared a presentation on Zoom addressing several facets of the Native Education Certificate Program, which promotes an interactive approach to teaching Swinomish history and culture. Their talk met a graduation obligation.