Editor,

Last week, Mr. Corey Johnson concluded his 12th and final year of service as an elected official of Oak Harbor Schools. I wanted to pass along the school board’s deepest gratitude and my personal admiration for his work.

Mr. Johnson’s tenure on the board was marked by tremendous success. Highlights included the high school remodel and construction of Wildcat Stadium, hiring of our current superintendent, reconfiguration of our middle schools, and the successful passage of several levies and bonds.

Perhaps the most important mark of his service was our high school eclipsing a 90 percent on-time graduation rate in 2016.

Mr. Johnson was central to these new successes of our district. From cultivating strong academic standards, as seen for instance in the high school’s tremendous Advanced Placement program, to expanding our offerings in career and technical areas, Corey has been a true champion for students and advocate for our community values.

He served with great integrity and will be deeply missed. The board thanks him and wishes him and his family all the best in the future.

Bob Hallahan, president

Oak Harbor School Board