District, Turner sign three-year contract

The school board and Paul Turner agreed on a three-year contract Monday night and the Grand Coulee Dam School District has a new superintendent of schools.

The board and Turner agreed to a $105,000 annual salary. Turner will take over his new duties July 1.

The board offered the position to Turner about a month ago, subject to working out a contract. The contract was signed Monday night.

Turner is currently vice principal of the Lake Roosevelt Junior/Senior High School in Coulee Dam.

He served as superintendent at Tonasket for five years and came to this district last September.

Turner currently lives in Tonasket but indicated an interest in moving to the community.

The new Coulee Dam superintendent also held the top position in Hunters before moving to Tonasket.

The board had opened up the position when it learned that Dennis Carlson, who has been in the district six years, decided to retire. The position was first offered within the district, which is the usual custom, and Turner was the lone applicant. After a long interview session, Turner was offered the job.

Turner and his wife Brenda, grew up in the Priest River, Idaho area. The couple has four children.

Turner taught math at Bridgeport for four years before going to Hunters, where he stayed for 11 years.

In other board action Monday night, Mario Adams was hired as LRHS assistant track coach. Adams was head boys basketball coach this past season.

The board also agreed to two resignations, Heather Raines as fifth grade teacher, and Carolyn McNeil, who has taught in the Grand Coulee Dam School District for the past 40 years.

The board also agreed to changes in the district's office staff. The accounts payable eight-hour position will move from $19.82 an hour to $21.08 an hour; the district secretary/testing coordinator, a six-hour position, will move from $16.19 an hour to $19.08 an hour; and the payroll/personnel director, an eight-hour position, will move from $25.39 an hour to $27.40 an hour. The special services secretary, who maintains all student records and schedules in an eight-hour position, will move from $16.19 an hour to $19.08 an hour. None of these employees have received position raises since the district adopted a Modified Education Plan nine years ago.

In a new four-hour position, that of administrative assistant, the selected person will be paid at $17.71 per hour.