Wahkiakum welcomes interim superintendent

There is a new leader at the helm of Wahkiakum School District who has already dove in and immersed himself in the duties of the superintendent role prior to his contracted start day. The district welcomed Ric Palmer, who will be serving as an interim over the next school year while we undergo an in-depth superintendent search moving forward.

Wahkiakum School District Board of Education approved Palmer as the new interim at their regular June meeting and he will work at an hourly contract basis. Five candidates were originally interviewed for the position of superintendent, though the School Board did not think they were the right fit. Mr. Palmer was recommended to serve as an interim because of his experience in the four-day week model, obtaining grants and improving schools through capital construction projects. The board reached out to him and had a conversation on the possibilities of an interim arrangement. According to board member Patty Anderson, “the first impressions conveyed that he had years of experience in what we needed. Ric has strong communication skills and has a strong, approachable demeanor.”

Palmer comes out of a seven-year retirement to serve the Wahkiakum district and is hard at work already. Palmer’s background is one of arduous work, first finding experience in the electrical trade prior to his education. He went to work right out of high school for General Electric as an electrician in Butte, MT. After receiving a degree in the university of life, he began his college career in his 30’s at the University of Montana where he earned a degree in education with an emphasis in business. “I enjoyed kids and interacting with them on the court, so I decided to become a teacher.” His education career began by setting up school networks and teaching business for three years in Alberton. He started his career in administration as a principal in Lame Deer, MT, also serving as the athletic director. His career brought him to Washington to the Lyle district as a principal for an additional three years. Word of mouth about his personable, hands-on approach lead him to Bickleton, WA. Palmer was the superintendent in the Bickleton District for 17 years, until his retirement. While there, he implemented a four-day school week, consolidated school structures, and grew a healthy bottom line with the support of the wind turbine industry.

While superintendent at Bickleton School District, his leadership was unwavering. He is a champion of rural schools and boasted a 100% graduation rate from the district and 90% of students moving onto higher education beyond graduation. In addition, 78% of students 7-12 achieved a 3.0 grade point average. Palmer sets the bar high and has an expectation to find solutions for all students to have a successful education experience. When Palmer retired, he left the district on solid academic and financial grounds, after achieving a bond measure, a new school and high academic achievement, transforming Bickleton into a standout in rural districts in Washington. As mentioned, Palmer implemented the four-day school week at Bickleton, boosting student achievement and attendance while raising staff morale.

The board has a lengthy list of additional tasks for Palmer to start on as his contract began July 1. As the director of the superintendent, the Board is tasking Palmer with focusing on securing over 13 million dollars in grants, outgoing Superintendent Freeman was working on. “Obtaining additional grants and securing monies of where we left off is important,” shared Anderson. Palmer will also work on upcoming staff negotiations as contracts are renewed, maintain a balanced budget, and communicate openly with transparent action between the staff, board, and community.

Palmer is used to being thrown into the fire, taking on educational roles at critical times of transition throughout his career. When asked about the challenges he faces as he takes on the leadership role of Wahkiakum School District, he shared that his position is not long term, therefore we just “don’t want to sink the boat and I want to keep progress in motion.”

His goal is to build camaraderie from the board to the staff to the public. With tough decisions ahead, his focus is to follow through on the grants that are already established and coming into the district. He is a very collaborative leader, willing to roll up his sleeves and get the work done. His work ethic, blue collar realism and team player attitude should serve him well as Wahkiakum School District welcomes Ric Palmer as the new leader of our school.