LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Unified School District is preparing to transition to the leadership of its new superintendent as the new school and fiscal year begins next month.
The district has hired several new school administrators, and next week interim Superintendent Patrick Iaccino will be at his last meeting, during which the new fiscal year budget will be considered.
The board hired Iaccino in January and since then he’s worked on addressing key district needs, including leading the recruitment for the new superintendent.
In May, the board hired longtime district educator Jill Falconer, the Clear Lake High School principal, to fill that post, as Lake County News has reported.
Iaccino said his last meeting will be on Wednesday, June 26. Falconer takes over on July 1.
He said he and Falconer have been meeting as part of the leadership handoff. They’ve discussed staffing, worked on recruitments and she’s had a one-day retreat with the administrative team.
Iaccino and Falconer have collaborated on deciding administrative assignments, in particular, determining principal and vice principal jobs.
Earlier this year, the district reached a settlement that reinstated Rachel Paarsch, formerly the principal of Terrace Middle School who was removed from that post in the fall.
The agreement calls for Paarsch to remain on paid administrative leave until the end of the year – June 30 – and then for her to be assigned to a new administrative job at the discretion of the superintendent.
Iaccino said he and Falconer determined that Paarsch will be the principal over the alternative program at Natural High School and the Community Day School. In that capacity, she will oversee pupil services, attendance and chronic absenteeism.
Among other key hires, Iaccino said Falconer served on the interview panel for a new Lakeport Elementary School principal. Aaron Carter, who has been principal there, was notified this spring that he was to be reassigned to another administrative job.
Iaccino said the new Lakeport Elementary principal is Talin Tamzarian, who comes from Pine Ridge School in Magalia. That school and its students were impacted by the Camp fire in November, which destroyed the nearby town of Paradise.
With Falconer succeeding to the superintendent’s post, a new Clear Lake High School principal needed to be selected.
Iaccino said he took the lead on that hire because Falconer did not feel comfortable doing so.
He said they selected Jennifer Scheel as the new high school principal. She has served as Falconer’s assistant principal.
A new assistant high school principal will be discussed at the June 26 meeting, Iaccino said.
In other news, Dave Norris, the district’s longtime director of maintenance, operations and transportation, has resigned, Iaccino confirmed.
Norris has served with the district for nearly 40 years.
Iaccino said Norris has taken a job in Southern California involving school districts. “He didn’t share a lot with me.”
Norris’ position hasn’t yet been posted on the district’s Web site.
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Lakeport Unified hires new administrators; new superintendent set to take over
- Elizabeth Larson
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