The Anacortes School District is hiring for a new Anacortes High School principal, effective with the 2022-23 school year. The principal is responsible for oversight and management of Anacortes High School, its 700 students, and 80 staff members. The high school is in a new state-of-the-art facility, and has a wide range of academics, athletics, and activities. Students are high achievers in diverse programs, such as performing arts, career & technical education, Advanced Placement courses, and more. Current high school principal Daniel Williams is resigning from the district, effective July 1, 2022. 

AHS currently has an on-time graduation rate of 90 percent and has consistently been ranked as one of the best high schools in the state by US News and World Report. 

Application materials can be found online: https://www.superintendentsearch.com/index.php. Applicants should apply by April 29th for first consideration. The district is engaged in a comprehensive search process, including interviews with students, staff, and parents. 

A survey link for families, staff, students, and community members to provide feedback is located here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AHSprincal2022.  

Questions? Contact Connie Sheridan, Human Resources Director, (360) 503-1221; csheridan@asd103.org 

The Washington State Department of Health recently released their updated COVID guidance and requirements for K-12 schools. 

Key updates are below. 

Changes Effective March 12

• Masks become optional in all school facilities & buses, except in health rooms. 

• Contact tracing is no longer required. 

• Physical distancing (3 and 6 feet) is no longer required. Districts are encouraged to maintain physical distancing as much as possible without interfering with the school’s instructional, social/ emotional/ behavioral, and operational needs. 

• Sports testing is no longer required. 

Phased-in Changes

• Building principals will assess desk arrangements, cafeteria set-up, recess cohorts, and other building changes. These changes will likely be implemented during the week of March 21.

• Field trips and expanded volunteer programs will likely be phased in after Spring Break. 

Other requirements remaining in place*

• All employees & volunteers in educational settings are required to be fully vaccinated or have a medical or religious exemption.**

• Students and staff who test positive for COVID-19 are required to isolate at home following current DOH and CDC isolation guidelines, regardless of vaccination status.

• Staff will continue to be notified when there is an exposure in their school/ department. 

• The district will continue to update the COVID dashboard every other week. 

• School-Based Testing remains in place for students and staff to access an on-site COVID test. More information can be found here: http://www.asd103.org/departments_and_programs/health_services___students_/test_to_stay_program

The district will continue to take a cautious approach in removing mitigation measures, following state and local guidance. 

Thank you for your continued support and flexibility throughout the pandemic. 

*A full list is available in the updated guidance: https://doh.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2022-03/821-165-K12SchoolsChildCare.pdf

**A person is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 two weeks after they have received the second dose in a two-dose series of a COVID-19 vaccine (e.g., Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) or a single dose COVID-19 vaccine (e.g., Johnson & Johnson (J&J)/Janssen) authorized for emergency use, licensed, or otherwise approved by the FDA or listed for emergency use or otherwise approved by the World Health Organization.

Kia duNann has been named as the next principal at Anacortes Middle School, effective July 1, 2022. duNann has served as assistant principal at AMS for the past year. Prior to that, she served as assistant principal with the Snohomish School District, associate principal, activity coordinator/leadership teacher and special education teacher in the Lake Washington and Federal Way school districts.

“I believe that Kia will do an excellent job leading our middle school,” said Superintendent Justin Irish. “She has a tremendous amount of experience leading systems alignment and student improvement, and a proven commitment to serving all students.”  

duNann was chosen from a well-qualified pool of candidates. The interview process included several staff interviews, a performance exercise, and a public Q&A forum. Dr. Irish took the feedback from each step of the process into consideration before making a final decision. 

duNann received her undergraduate degree in special education from Gonzaga University, and her master’s degree in educational leadership from Seattle Pacific University. 

“I am honored and thrilled that I will be serving the AMS community as the principal next year,” said duNann. “I am grateful for this opportunity and I am really looking forward to continuing to build strong relationships with our students, staff, families, and community members. I love living in the community that I serve and am excited for what is ahead for all of us.”

duNann will oversee approximately 55 certificated and classified staff, and a student body of approximately 560 students at AMS. The principal serves on the District’s Leadership Team and helps guide the district’s focus on developing rigorous learning opportunities for all students. duNann takes over from current AMS principal Patrick Harrington, who has accepted a leadership position with the Oak Harbor School District, after nearly 20 years of service at Anacortes Middle School. 

Questions? Contact Superintendent Justin Irish, jirish@asd103.org or (360) 503-1211

Dr. Erin Duez has been named the next principal at Anacortes High School, effective July 1, 2022. Duez currently serves as principal at Cap Sante High School and as assistant principal at Anacortes High School. 

"I believe Erin will be an excellent principal for students and staff. She has the adaptive, technical, and relationship skills for leading a high school," said Superintendent Justin Irish. "It was a difficult decision. We had two excellent, well-qualified candidates, and I carefully weighed feedback from staff, students, community, and families in each stage of the process before making a decision." 

Duez holds a doctorate degree in education from Seattle Pacific University, a master's degree in secondary education from Loyola Marymount University, and a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Bryn Mawr College. She previously taught science at middle and high schools, served as assistant principal at LaVenture Middle School in Mt. Vernon, and has served as an AVID coordinator and instructional coach. 

Duez will oversee approximately 80 certificated and classified staff and a student body of approximately 700 students. The principal serves on the District's Leadership Team and helps guide the district's focus on developing rigorous learning opportunities for all students. The high school is recognized for its high graduation rates and students' achievement in academics, arts, and extracurricular activities. 

The district will begin a recruitment process to fill Duez’s current role as principal at Cap Sante High School and AHS assistant principal. 

Questions? Contact Dr. Justin Irish, Superintendent, (360) 503-1211 or jirish@asd103.org 

ASD has investigated a report of a possible weapon on its middle school campus this morning and found the threat to be unfounded. A student was interviewed and found not to be in possession nor have access to weapons. We worked with APD in conducting this investigation. The district has robust safety protocols in place that were followed. We appreciate the student who initially reported the concern so that it could be addressed appropriately. 

Questions? Contact Superintendent Justin Irish (360) 503-1211 or jirish@asd103.org