Coupeville schools are ready to go next week

Published 2:00 pm Wednesday, August 28, 2002

The Coupeville School District kicks off the school year Tuesday, Sept. 3, with a brand-new superintendent, a handful of new secondary teachers and a substantial grant from the Bill Gates Foundation.

Superintendent Bill Myhr, who joins the district this year after seven years as an administrator in the Elma School District, said Tuesday he and district staff are excited about the chance to carry on with Coupeville’s strong tradition of educational excellence.

“We’re just looking forward to a great school year, and continuing our good work,” Myhr said. “Staff will continue their efforts toward school reinvention, as well as giving students the best opportunity to succeed,” he added.

Four new teachers join the district this year. Wilbur Perdue, a Coupeville High School graduate who received his degree from the University of Washington, will teach third grade.

Susan Blanton, who moved to the region a few years back from Alaska, will serve as the district’s new elementary music specialist. Blanton is herself a highly successful fiddler and violinist of national recognition.

A husband and wife team also join the district this year. Ken and Diane Skaley, formerly teachers in Omak, will teach fifth and third grades, respectively.

Coupeville’s middle/high school recently was awarded with a Gates Foundation Small Schools Reinvention Grant worth over $250,000. The grant will be implemented over a three-year period, Myhr said, with this year focusing primarily on research and data collection regarding “how schools around the country have changed their methods of delivery.” Over the following two years, pilot programs will be implemented that will facilitate what Myhr called “best practices,” followed by assessment, re-evaluation and full implementation of new standards.

“It’s a very exciting opportunity,” Myhr said. “It’ll really help support time and training for our staff.”

This year the district is also developing a home-based school support program, which will allow parents and students undergoing home schooling to seek district resources and training, including the potential for some course work performed off-campus. Myhr said he’s bringing a recommendation on the program to the school board on Sept. 16.

Another boon to the district is the continuing funding from I-728, an initiative passed by voters in November 2000 that sets aside additional school funding to help students reach new state learning standards. Coupeville, which received about $230,000 in I-728 funding, will continue to use the money to support staffing, Myhr said. Specifically, the funding supports 4 teachers and the district’s Learning Partners Program.