(Shay Mikalson)
Superintendent Shay Mikalson shared plans to announce his resignation from Bend-La Pine Schools at the November 12 meeting of the Bend-La Pine Schools Board of Directors.
Mikalson says he has been offered, and has accepted, a position with the High Desert Education Service District (HDESD) as Chief Student Success Officer. His new position with the HDESD is set to begin at the end of the current school year.
School Board co-chairs Julie Craig and Carrie McPherson Douglass say Bend-La Pine Schools’ Board of Directors have begun to discuss the search process for Mikalson’s replacement.
We will be announcing our next steps for our search process in the days to come and look forward to working with the community to select the next leader of Bend-La Pine Schools,” McPherson Douglass said. “The Bend-La Pine Schools’ Board is excited for the opportunity to continue the legacy of excellence in teaching and learning and to push our district even further towards our vision of an equitable and innovative system of schools that serves all students well.”
“We are grateful for Shay’s leadership over the past four and a half years as superintendent — we made progress in our efforts to provide a world-class education to every student in Bend- La Pine,” said Craig. “Bend-La Pine Schools has every ingredient necessary to live up to that promise, with consistent community support, strong leadership and amazing educators and staff.”
Prior to being named superintendent, Mikalson served as the district’s Assistant Superintendent and Director of Instructional Technology.
Mikalson says the past eight years with Bend-La Pine Schools have been some of the best in his career. “I am proud of the gains that have taken place in our district — from broadening our definition of success to dramatically increasing graduation rates and passing the biggest construction bond in our history,” he said.
Since Mikalson joined the district in 2011, more than 2,500 new students have enrolled, three new schools have been constructed and new a high school is under construction.
“We work diligently to build upon our successes in order to deliver the best teaching and learning environment in Oregon,” Mikalson said. “This year, we celebrated our best-ever graduation rate, the Class of 2018 received more than $13 million in college scholarship offers, our students scored 57 points higher on the SATs than peers around the state and we have refined our efforts to ensure every staff member and student have the teaching and learning environments they need to be successful.”
“I believe the collective work taking place today in our schools and departments reflects the very best our state has to offer, and our district is well set up for success when my successor joins the district,” he added. “I am extremely proud to say that I have been a part of our district’s amazing team.”
