Scott West named new Warden schools superintendent
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 10 months AGO
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | May 17, 2021 1:00 AM
WARDEN — Warden School District Board members unanimously voted Warden Middle School Principal Scott West as the new superintendent at their board meeting Thursday.
Board members went into executive session for about 30 minutes, and when they returned, they added West’s name to the list of people recommended to be hired for the 2021-22 school year. Board chair Kacy Campos said West’s contract will be for three years.
West will replace David LaBounty, who announced his retirement in April. LaBounty had a three-year contract with a third year added automatically, unless board members voted not to extend it. In January, they did just that.
West has been WMS principal for two years. Prior to that, he was principal at Park Orchard Elementary School in Moses Lake. He was a teacher and administrator in Warden before taking the job in Moses Lake.
He does not have superintendent certification, Campos said, and part of the board’s expectation is he will obtain certification within three years.
Campos said West told board members during his interview for the WMS job his career goal was to be a superintendent, and he would be interested in the Warden superintendent’s job if it became available. As a result, board members always considered hiring West when it came time to find a new superintendent, she said.
“Scott’s our guy. The whole board believes in him,” Campos said.
West has built connections with his students, the teachers and the community, Campos said, and is well liked by students and staff. There are always kids around him at school events, she said.
“He’s very in tune with what the community needs,” she said.
The board is trying to focus on what’s best for the district, staff and students, she added.
“We think putting him (West) in that position is best for everybody,” she said.
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