Bjork accepts stint as Coupeville superintendent

The Coupeville School District is currently on its third superintendent for this school year.

By Nathan Whalen • April 23, 2013 5:14 pm
Lisa Bjork settles into her job as temporary superintendent of the Coupeville School District. She replaces Patty Page who abruptly resigned her position at the end of the 2012 school year.
Lisa Bjork settles into her job as temporary superintendent of the Coupeville School District. She replaces Patty Page who abruptly resigned her position at the end of the 2012 school year.

The Coupeville School District is currently on its third superintendent for this school year.

Lisa Bjork, a former superintendent of the South Whidbey School District, was named interim superintendent last month.

She will lead the school district until early June when permanent superintendent Jim Shank takes over.

The Coupeville School District has been without a permanent superintendent since the end of the 2012 school year when Patty Page resigned after being hired by the North Kitsap School District.

After conducting an initial job search and rejecting three finalists last year, the school board named Karen Koschak as interim superintendent.

Koschak served through most of the current school year until abruptly resigning in February because of a family medical issue. Jerry Jenkins, superintendent of the Educational Service District based in Anacortes, filled in for several weeks before the school board named Bjork their latest interim superintendent.

Bjork, who served as assistant superintendent for the South Whidbey School District from 1992 to 1996 and as superintendent from 1996 to 2000, said she couldn’t turn the job down when school officials called.

She also teaches educational leadership at Seattle Pacific University and oversees principal and superintendent interns.

She sees herself as a bridge between Koschak and Shank.

“I’m just trying to connect the dots between what has been going on and what needs to be done,” Bjork said.

There are several projects she will be involved in during the coming weeks. School officials will be busy developing a budget for the 2013-2014 school year.

Staff will also be busy implementing a new math program that will be consistent with new federal common core standards. Work piloting a new principal and teacher evaluation system is still moving forward.

The Coupeville School Board announced in February that they offered Shank the superintendent position.

He is currently the superintendent of the Juab School District in Utah and will finish the school year before starting his duties in Coupeville in early June.