North Kitsap school board appoints Davenport as interim superintendent
North Kitsap's school board unanimously voted to appoint Rachel Davenport to the position of interim superintendent during Thursday's regularly scheduled board meeting. Davenport, who spent the past six weeks serving as acting superintendent, will remain as interim superintendent through June 30, 2025.
Davenport was elevated into acting superintendent status in the wake of former Superintendent Laurynn Evans's legal trouble. Evans was placed on paid administrative leave by North Kitsap's school board on Feb. 8 after being named as the suspect in a Jan. 26 theft of signs opposing the district's February bond measure, which failed. Evans entered into a pretrial diversion agreement Feb. 28 while appearing at Kitsap County District Court over a misdemeanor charge of removing or defacing political advertising.
During North Kitsap's board meeting March 14, directors approved Evans' resignation, which will go into effect June 30.
Davenport, who began the 2023-24 school year as the district's executive director of human resources, shared the following written statement with community members Thursday evening.
"I am honored to be leading the district and guiding the critical educational work we are doing for our students. It is my hope that with the board’s decision tonight, our community can begin to recalibrate our collective focus on student-centered priorities in the district. I understand there is work to be done and the opportunity to more intentionally engage with our community on important issues impacting students, families, and schools. I deeply value collaboration, transparency, and building trusting relationships for the benefit of our students and our future. I look forward to connecting with families with these values in mind."
North Kitsap is the second local school district to name an interim superintendent during the 2023-24 school year. In December, Bainbridge Island School District Superintendent Peter Bang-Knudsen announced his resignation, effective June 30, while going on medical leave. Assistant Superintendent Amii Thompson will serve as interim superintendent through 2024-25, although the district will begin searching for a permanent replacement for Bang-Knudsen toward the end of 2024.
This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: North Kitsap school board appoints Davenport as interim superintendent
