District adds, realigns staff

The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District racked up a principal accomplishment at Monday's school board meeting. It hired two principals, two principal-teachers, one assistant principal and rescinded one principal's retirement.

Superintendent Donna Peterson praised the quality of the district staff and expressed her satisfaction with the appointments.

"Please note that all five of these appointments are currently our employees," she told the board.

n Mark Norgren will be the new principal of Nikiski Elementary School.

He has served as the assistant principal at Soldotna High School for 10 years, working before that at Nikiski Middle-Senior High School and Kenai Central High School.

The former math teacher and hockey coach has a master's degree in educational administration from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. In 1996-97, he was named the state of Alaska assistant principal of the year. He replaces Trena Richardson, who is transferring to the principal's slot at Kalifornsky Beach Elementary School.

n Glen Szymoniak will be the new principal at Homer Middle School. He has been the principal at McNeil Canyon Elementary School since 1994.

Before taking the McNeil Canyon post, he worked in Moose Pass, at Seward Elementary School, in the Alaska Bush and in Kuwait.

He has a master of education degree and an Alaska superintendent endorsement from the University of Alaska Anchorage. In 1994, while at Moose Pass, he was named the Alaska outstanding principal-teacher of the year. He replaces Scott O'Tremba, who resigned.

n Allan Miller will be the new assistant principal at Skyview High School. He worked this past year as the assistant principal at Kenai Middle School and has taught at Soldotna Middle School, Skyview (where he was a teacher from 1990 to 1996) and other places in Alaska.

He completed his Alaska principal certification in 1999 at UAA. His specialties are Russian and skiing, including international work for the U.S. Biathlon Team and student exchanges. He replaces Greg Wilbanks, who is transferring to be the principal at Chapman Elementary School in Anchor Point.

n Terri Orr will serve as principal-teacher at Cooper Landing School. She has taught at the school for nine years, most recently for primary grades. She replaces Steve Smith, who resigned.

n Randy Creamer will serve as principal-teacher for the Kachemak Selo School.

He has been teaching grades six through 10 at the school and has worked for the district since 1988. He replaces Alex Trout, who resigned.

n Roderick "Rick" Ladd's resignation as principal of West Homer Elementary School has been rescinded. Ladd, who has worked for the district since 1985, earlier had submitted his resignation to become effective at the end of the 2000-01 school year. In an emotional letter to the superintendent and to Todd Syverson, the assistant superintendent for personnel, Ladd cited intense soul-searching on the matter.

"I would like to press on and offer the Kenai all my expertise for years to come," he wrote. "I don't think that my personality will suit retirement."