MHS asst. principal considering leaving for D.C. Everest
By Adam Hocking
Editor
MARSHFIELD — Marshfield School District Superintendent Dee Wells confirmed Tuesday that Marshfield High School (MHS) Assistant Principal Trena Loomans is weighing a job offer from the D.C. Everest School District. Wells did not specify the exact position Loomans was offered.
Wells said that Loomans lives near the D.C. Everest district but would not speculate as to whether or not Loomans would leave. This past year was Loomans’ first in the assistant principal position at MHS.
“When she talked to me, she hadn’t made up her mind about whether she was going to accept it. She hadn’t seen the contract,” Wells said, adding that Loomans contacted her to let her know she was offered a position.
Loomans and Dave Roeglin are the two current assistant principals at MHS. MHS Principal Steve Sukawaty is leaving the school to accept the principal position at Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Port Washington on July 1.
Wells said the district would not post the assistant principal opening until Loomans decides whether or not to take the Everest position. If Loomans accepts, she will join a substantial list of principals and assistant principals that have recently left the Marshfield School District.
Former Marshfield Middle School Assistant Principal Jim Hoese and Principal Dave Schoepke retired following the 2015 school year, and Todd Felhofer vacated his position as principal of Lincoln Elementary at the end of 2015 to become the district administrator for the Greenwood School District. Greg Kaster, the longtime principal of Madison Elementary, is set to retire this year.
Wells said that those who would criticize or point to the administration or school board for the exodus of administrators should consider the facts.
“When we look at principal turnover, what are we talking about?” Wells said. She noted that the baby boomer generation is coming to retirement age, and “Our staff … can and want to retire when they want to retire.”
“I would just sort of say be careful. Make sure we’re really speaking about the facts, that we’re not saying things that are just sort of, that aren’t really true,” Wells said. “Take some time to look around at other districts,” she added, describing administrator turnover as a common trend.
Wells said among superintendents, when they discuss staffing, the level of turnover is “not a major phenomenon.”
“Is it a nuisance? Yes. Is it sometimes difficult? Yes. Is it challenging? Yes. Is it impossible? No,” Wells said. “It is sort of where we are.”
Loomans has not responded to a request for comment on this story.
Leave a reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.