Camas School Board OKs 3-year contract for new superintendent

The Camas School Board this week approved a three-year contract with the school district's new superintendent, John Anzalone. The board named Anzalone, an assistant superintendent for the Clark County School District in Nevada, as its superintendent pick in mid-December. Anzalone will begin his new position on July 1. Doug Hood, the Camas School District's director of elementary education, has been filling in as interim superintendent since July 2021, following the resignation of longtime Camas schools superintendent Jeff Snell, who left the district in the summer of 2021 to take over as head of the Vancouver Public Schools district. Under the terms of the contract, Anzalone's starting salary is $220,000. The superintendent also will earn $600 a month for using a personal vehicle for work-related travel within Clark and Multnomah counties and a $50 a month stipend for business use on his personal cell phone. The district also has agreed to reimburse Anzalone up to $15,000 for "reasonable moving expenses," and provide a professional learning stipend of up to $5,000 during the 2022-23 school year for costs associated with professional certifications. The new superintendent's contract begins July 1, 2022 and ends June 30, 2025. Each year of the agreement will include 260 workdays, "minus 12 paid holidays and 30 paid vacation days for an actual work year of 218 days," according to the employment agreement the board approved during their workshop on Monday, Jan. 10. The school board must give written notice to Anzalone by April 1, 2023, if the district is not going to renew his contract for an additional three years. Otherwise, the superintendent's contract will be considered renewed through the 2025-26 school year. Under the employment contract, the school board "strongly recommends" that the new superintendent live within the boundaries of the Camas School District. The superintendent also is required to enroll his K-12 children in Camas schools unless the board approves an exception. Camas School Board members Erika Cox and Tracey Malone traveled to Anzalone's school district in Nevada to get to know their top candidate on his home turf. "It was clear that the staff hold John in high regard. We were impressed with how John is able to support and nurture school communities in such a large system with a wide range of diversity and needs," Malone said. "Although we are a much smaller system, we feel like John has the experience and the heart to lead our district." "I very much appreciate the time Tracey and Erika took to visit and get to know the district that supported me for many years," commented Anzalone. "I firmly believe that creating strong, personal connections with students and staff members is how we make a larger district feel small and a smaller district feel like family." Anzalone was named as an assistant superintendent for Clark County School District in 2021, and he has 16 years of experience leading middle and high schools. He holds a doctorate from Walden University and a master's degree from the University of Phoenix. "As we head into the new year, I plan to visit Camas often to start creating those connections to hit the ground running on July 1," Anzalone said in December. Malone thanked the community in December for helping the school board members make their decision. "This has been quite a journey, and we are thankful for the hundreds of people, including staff, students, parents, and community members who helped us make this decision," Malone said. "We are excited for the next chapter in Camas School District's story and for John to help us write it."

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