Blaine School District’s superintendent Chris Granger will leave the district this summer and start a new job as head of the Sultan School District.
Granger was selected from three finalists to lead the district in Snohomish County. His first day will be July 1. The Sultan School Board welcomed Granger to the district at a work session on Monday, March 10.
Granger told CDN that he has not yet signed a contract, but he expects to do so this week. He said there wasn’t “anything specific” that made him seek out another job, but his daughter is going to start high school this year.
“It’s one of those natural times as a parent that if you’re going to look, it makes sense at that time,” he said.
Granger led the district through a tumultuous time. He began in summer 2019 and saw the district through COVID-19 lockdowns, online school and now through a budget crisis. More than 90 positions have been eliminated in the last two years due to financial challenges prompted by enrollment declines, inflation and stagnant state funding.
In December, the Blaine School Board extended Granger’s contract through June 2028, by a vote of 3-2. Board members voiced concerns about Granger’s performance, and concerns that he had been pursuing jobs in other districts. Last February, Granger pursued a job in the Ellensburg School District but was not selected, according to The Northern Light.
Charlotte Alden is CDN’s general assignment/enterprise reporter; reach her at charlottealden@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 123.
