Home

The Hayden School District lost another administrator Thursday when middle school Principal Colleen Poole resigned to become director of the North Routt Community Charter School.

Poole, who served as the middle school's principal for 11 years, accepted the North Routt position after meeting Thursday night with the North Routt School Board in Clark.

"I'm very, very excited," said Poole, a Clark-area resident. "And it's in my back yard."

The opportunity to lead the community-focused charter school was too good to pass up, even if it means leaving many close friends and colleagues behind in Hayden, Poole said.

"It was very hard to leave," she said. "There's a number of colleagues I've gotten close to and I'm going to miss them, and the students, too."

The North Routt School Board and Poole are working out the details of her employment agreement, though it appears her contract will not be a multi-year agreement.

"We just hit the jackpot," North Routt School Board President Chris Gander said after announcing Poole had accepted the position. "We're all completely elated."

The small, 3-year-old charter school has been searching for a director to replace Mary Bramer, who was released by the School Board in June.

Poole is exactly what the North Routt charter school needs, Gander said.

"We're making some amazing progress right now with planning for the next year," he said.

Poole leaves a district that has suddenly found itself in turmoil. Hayden High School Principal Nick Schafer resigned in May, citing philosophical differences with district administration, particularly Superintendent Scott Mader.

On June 19, the Hayden School Board suspended Mader indefinitely while lawyers review and investigate matters related to his employment, according to minutes from a special meeting.

School Board members, citing confidentiality laws, haven't discussed the suspension in further detail.

The district is in the final stages of interviewing candidates to replace Schafer, Hayden Valley Elementary School Principal and acting district superintendent Mike Luppes said Thursday.

Each of the candidates has been informed that the high school principal position could become a high school and middle school position.

A decision hasn't been reached on whether the district will consolidate the two principal positions into one job, Luppes said.

Luppes, who calls Poole a close friend, said he's sorry to see her leave the district.

"The district will miss her and I will personally miss her," Luppes said.

Poole's departure doesn't come as a huge surprise, however, because she's discussed interest in the North Routt director position for several years, he said.

"She has thought of that as a dream job," Luppes said.

-- To reach Brent Boyer call 871-4234

or e-mail bboyer@steamboatpilot.com