Lakeland School District Places Superintendent on Paid Leave, Names Interim

RATHDRUM, Idaho — Rusty Taylor is collecting $156,000 a year in public salary without entering a Lakeland Joint School District building, after trustees unanimously voted March 23 to relieve him of his duties and place him on paid administrative leave for the remainder of his two-year contract, with no public explanation beyond a citation of legal counsel.

The board communicated the action to Lakeland parents, staff and community members on March 24, stating only that it was acting "on the advice of legal counsel." Board Chair Michelle Thompson offered slightly more context, telling Idaho Education News that an "accumulation of events" — identified through Taylor's annual employee review — prompted the decision, and that Taylor was never under investigation for any specific incident. What those events were, the district has not said.

Taylor disputed the framing. "I didn't break any laws, I didn't break any policies; I'm a rule follower," he said. "It is a wonderful district with wonderful people in it. I have truly enjoyed working with the Lakeland District and the staff and the students and parents." He added that he wished it would have worked out better. "I wish Lakeland the very best."

Effective March 23, Jake Massey became the person parents and staff should contact with operational questions. The board named Massey interim superintendent to lead day-to-day operations through the end of the 2025-2026 school year, stating he carries its "full trust and confidence" to make decisions on the district's daily operations. The board also asked teachers and staff to "continue to demonstrate our educational and community goals as we move forward with the remaining 2025-2026 school year."

The board's path to this outcome ran through two executive sessions. On March 18, trustees held a lengthy closed session and voted unanimously not to renew Taylor's contract. Five days later, after another long executive session on March 23, they voted unanimously to relieve him of duties immediately. Taylor is expected to receive any remaining contract salary in a single lump sum unless the board decides otherwise; he will also work with the board clerk and legal counsel to draft a written separation agreement for the board's review.

Several questions remain unanswered for families in Rathdrum and Spirit Lake: what the "accumulation of events" Thompson described actually encompasses, whether the board intends an external superintendent search or an internal promotion after the school year ends, and how spring athletics and state testing will be managed under interim leadership. Parent and advocacy groups have pressed the district for specific timelines and greater transparency. Trustees have indicated that follow-up meetings in April will mark the next public milestones.

This is the third superintendent transition at Lakeland in a short span. Taylor replaced Lisa Arnold, who served three years as the district struggled through levy failures. Arnold followed Becky Meyer, who left in 2020 after a split board declined to extend her contract. Thompson and Vice Chair Ramona Grissom have remained seated through all three transitions, which makes the board's accountability for this pattern of leadership instability a question that will follow any future superintendent search.