The Unalaska City School District will have to fill a total of 10 vacancies for the upcoming school year.
Eight teachers, the Unalaska High School registrar, and Eagle's View Elementary Achigaalux̂ Principal Chad Eichenlaub have all submitted letters of resignation, according to Superintendent John Conwell.
The vacancies are equally split among the island's elementary and high schools. The openings at the high school include alternative education and language arts, taught by Amy Purevsuren, who has been with the district for 13 years; high school social studies, currently taught by Ryan Humphrey; another high school language arts position held by Jacob Collins-Wilson; and seventh through ninth grade math, currently taught by Emma Carr.
The openings at the elementary school include fourth grade, currently taught by Lucy Ortiz; second grade, taught by Jane Ruckman, who has taught in Unalaska for nearly three decades; first grade, taught by Aubrey Smith; and a kindergarten teaching position, currently held by Wilma Adams, who has taught on the island for over 35 years.
The district has already begun the process for interviewing teacher candidates, according to Conwell. He said they'll be working hard over the next couple weeks as they begin filling those positions.
Meanwhile, the Unalaska school board announced Monday that it had unanimously chosen Dr. Robbie Swint Jr. for the new superintendent position, after interviewing each of the four candidateslast week.
Dr. Swint has over a decade of experience working in Department of Defense schools as a principal, assistant principal and vice principal. He has also served as a principal in both the North Slope Borough and Yukon Flats school districts.
"It is with an overwhelming joy that I accept this superintendent position, and I look forward to becoming a member of the UCSD family," said Swint in a statement released by the Unalaska City School District.
Swint is expected to visit the island sometime this spring and has agreed to a three-year contract, which will begin in July.
