It was a short meeting for the Wrangell School Board last Monday evening, only about 10 minutes. There was a
single item on their agenda that evening: A proposal from the Association of Alaska School Boards to conduct Wrangell School District's search for a new superintendent, for the amount of $10,500. This was discussed in a previous school board meeting, on Nov. 16, but the board decided to defer action until Nov. 30. This was partially
because board members wanted more time to consider the proposal, and also to consider the potential for the current superintendent to stay on.
Dr. Debbe Lancaster has been the superintendent of Wrangell Public Schools since July of 2018. She offered her resignation back in October, to take effect at the end of her contract on June 30, 2021. Her resignation came after some controversy involving her and other school staff taking an unannounced and expensive trip to Juneau to shop for COVID-19 mitigation supplies. In her letter, Lancaster stated there were several reasons for her resignation, one being she wanted to pursue new career opportunities and to be closer to her spouse.
When previously discussing AASB's proposal, there were some concerns regarding the district's stability, seeking a new superintendent during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lancaster was asked if she would consider staying on with Wrangell longer, to which she said she would need to think about it.
"I really do appreciate the fact that I was asked," Lancaster said in the Nov. 30 meeting. "I think that the timing of all of this has been complex ... I've thought a lot about it, and made some note about it and what I thought, and I think there's too many pieces to try to figure out. I think it's going to be complex whether I reconsidered or whether I didn't."
After some brief discussion, the board decided to unanimously approve of AASB's proposal. Board Member Patty Gilbert thanked the
school board for delaying action on this item, giving them more time to consider their options. School Board President Aaron Angerman also took time to thank Lancaster for her help in running the district during an unprecedented year.
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