The Bristol Bay Borough School District selected Oregon principal James Smith as its next superintendent last month. The school board unanimously voted to appoint Smith, who was among four finalists that visited the community in mid-February to participate in interviews and public forums.
“It was apparent to me the moment I walked into the school, this place had a special feeling," Smith said in a district news release. "That was only confirmed over the next 24 hours as I had the genuine opportunity to meet so many people that care so much for their school system. I can't wait to come back.”
Longtime superintendent Bill Hill will leave the school at the end of the year, and the district partnered with the Association of Alaska School Boards to search for his replacement.
Smith previously served as principal and superintendent at the Fossil School District in Oregon before he retired in the spring of 2022. The Fossil school brought him back last fall to work as the elementary principal and on special projects.
Smith will start as the Bristol Bay Borough’s superintendent on July 1.
Get in touch with the author at izzy@kdlg.org or 907-842-2200.
