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New superintendent will be challenged

C-Tran faces tough balancing act, trying to improve service along Fourth Plain

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category icon Editorials, Opinion

After a search that yielded a handful of top candidates from Oregon and Washington, on Friday the Washougal School Board announced that it had selected veteran Oregon administrator Dawn Tarzian as its newest school district leader.

Tarzian, who will replace the retiring Teresa Baldwin, currently serves as the superintendent for the Corvallis [Ore.] School District, and has worked in administrative positions in other school districts in Oregon during her long career as well.

Tarzian is entering the local scene during a very challenging time. It is a period filled with numerous school funding challenges, with more likely coming down the pipeline from the state that will almost certainly lead to the need for additional cuts in the coming years.

With a career that spans more than 30 years, Tarzian is no stranger to this climate and her experience will likely serve her well in Washougal.

In partnership with the School Board, Tarzian will need to be a leader who is committed to guiding this relatively small community school district through these challenges, as she also inspires the district’s teachers to continue to keep pursuing the ultimate goal of providing high quality and innovative education for our students. They deserve no less.

— Heather Acheson