District chooses new principal for high school, middle school

The school board on April 18 voted to hire a former Alaskan as the new principal for Wrangell High School and Stikine Middle School.

Robert Burkhart will begin as principal for the secondary schools on Aug. 8. He applied for the position after another candidate was chosen and had withdrawn her application.

The district received more than 30 applications for the position, which is a one-year contract. It will be paid with federal funds from an American Rescue Plan Act grant.

The school board approved the contract for a new principal at Evergreen Elementary on April 9 — which is also for one year and paid with federal funds — putting current special education teacher Ann Hilburn into the role.

Both principal positions replace assistant principal/lead teachers positions at all the schools. Bob Davis, the assistant principal and lead teacher for the high school and middle school, is retiring at the end of the school year, and Jenn Miller-Yancey, the assistant principal and lead teacher at the elementary, is returning to a teaching position.

Burkhart is coming from Ennis, Montana, as the principal of Valley Christian School in Missoula. He has held the position since last year when the previous principal died due to illness. Before that, he was retired, most recently serving as an assistant principal in the Bering Strait School District in Alaska. He was also the athletic director for the district. He was also a principal in Delta/Greely and Yukon Flats school districts over six and a half years.

Burkhart’s contract at Valley Christian School is up at the end of this school year, but instead of returning to retirement, he felt he wasn’t done in education after his current role rejuvenated him.

“I know I can be very effective working with kids,” he said. “They have a lot of issues (older generations) didn’t face. They need skills our generation (were taught).”

After discussing a return to the workforce with Dianne, his wife of almost 50 years, Burkhart said they made the decision to look for something in Alaska, since they enjoyed their time here. Being in Wrangell will also move them closer to their grandchildren in Juneau.

Burkhart, 68, was raised in Missouri and Illinois and attended high school just outside of Chicago. He attended Montana State University in Bozeman, where he met Dianne.

“The (interview) committee was impressed with (Burkhart’s) answers on involving and engaging the community in education,” said Kimberly Powell, administrative assistant for the school district and a member of the committee. “When asked if he had questions for us, it was apparent that he had done his homework on Wrangell and had very specific questions about the school and our community beyond the normal one regarding available housing.”

Powell said Burkhart showed a genuine interest in becoming a part of the community.

“I like to represent the school well and keep people informed of what’s going on,” Burkhart said.