Coupeville names Stacy Larsen and Dr. Heather Ireland pending board approval

The Coupeville School District announced it plans to hire Stacy Larsen as director of Business and Finance beginning in March and Dr. Heather Ireland, Ed.D., as director of Special Services beginning in July, noting that "the hirings will be made official once they are approved by the school board."

Superintendent Shannon Leatherwood put the announcement in a community newsletter distributed to families and staff, identifying the two candidates by name and the timing for their starts as the district prepares for administrative changes in the coming months.

Stacy Larsen is slated to take over the director of Business and Finance role in March. Larsen was most recently vice president of finance for Lighthouse Mission in Bellingham, where she "led organizational budgeting, forecasting, and long-range financial planning while ensuring compliance with all local, state, and federal financial regulations." Leatherwood described Larsen as "highly adaptable, organized, and detail oriented." Larsen previously managed financial, administrative, and business operations at Living Word Church in Oak Harbor and served as chief financial officer and president of EXA Data & Mapping, Inc. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Western Washington University.

Dr. Heather Ireland, Ed.D., is slated to begin as director of Special Services in July. The district announcement listed her credential and the July start month but did not include additional biographical or employment details for Dr. Ireland in the newsletter; the district has not yet published a full professional biography or contract terms for the position.

Both hirings require school-board approval to become official. The Coupeville School Board is made up of five director positions - three representing specific districts and two at-large directors who serve four-year terms - and holds regular meetings on the last Thursday of every month at the Coupeville school board room, 501 S. Main Street, Coupeville, Annex Room 305. Board meetings are open to the public except when the board convenes in executive session under the Open Public Meetings Act, and meetings are held in-person with audio and streaming access available.

The director of Special Services will oversee programs governed by federal and state special education rules; the district notes that "The Section 504 regulation in the Washington state RCW requires all school districts to provide a 'free appropriate public education' (FAPE) to each qualified person with a disability who is in the school district’s jurisdiction, regardless of the nature or severity of the person’s disability." For families and staff working with special education and counseling services, district contacts listed on the Coupeville School District site include Bridget Littlefield, elementary school counselor, phone 360-678-2475, email blittlefield@coupeville.k12.wa.us; Shawna Sparrow, middle/high school counselor for grades 10-12, phone 360-678-2417, email ssparrow@coupeville.k12.wa.us; Lori Atlas, counselor for grades 6-9, phone 360-678-2418, email latlas@coupeville.k12.wa.us; and districtwide social work and crisis coordinator Arianna Bumgarner, phone 360-678-2419, email abumgarner@coupeville.k12.wa.us.

The district has not provided the board meeting agenda item or packet showing when the approvals will be considered. Residents seeking to follow the approval process can attend the regular board meeting at 501 S. Main Street, Coupeville, Annex Room 305 on the board's scheduled last Thursday meeting or check the Coupeville School District website for the agenda and board packet when posted.