By Carol A. ClarkAs the Aug. 15 start of the new school year draws near, a hiring committee has narrowed down a pool of applicants vying to replace Mountain Elementary School Principal Gerry Washburn.
“We had internal and external candidates apply and we’re hoping to bring this search to a close well before school starts,” Washburn said Tuesday.
Washburn is a non-voting member of the hiring committee who helped coordinate the process.
He left Mountain June 19 after serving three years as principal to become Coordinator of Human Resources for Los Alamos Public Schools.
“It’s a natural evolution to where I want to be long term in my career,” Washburn said. “I want to be involved in leadership at the district level and this allows me to do so.”
Before becoming principal at Mountain School, Washburn was assistant principal at Los Alamos Middle School.
He also taught at Mountain for 10 years, during which time he worked with the Volunteer Task Force developing outdoor science programs and helped rebuild local trails.
Washburn also earned his Master’s Degree in Educational Administration while at Mountain and is pursuing his doctorate in Educational Leadership.
Washburn and his family have lived in Los Alamos for nearly 30 years. When he first moved to town, Washburn worked for Los Alamos National Bank as a vice president of lending.
He went on to own and operate Film Festival for 10 years. As his children grew, Washburn became involved in coaching YMCA basketball, which led to his 24-year coaching and teaching career at LAPS.
Mountain Elementary School, 2280 North Road, is one of five elementary schools in the district. It has 444 students in grades K-6, according to its website.
Mountain has three all day Kindergartens and three classrooms each for grades one through six.
The school has 21 regular classroom teachers, six teachers in art, library, PE, band, orchestra and music and 18 full and part-time support teachers and staff in computers, nurses, special education, speech, GATE and counseling.
Mountain also has 20 employees comprised of instructional assistants, office and custodial staff.
For more information, visit http://www.laschools.net/mountain/site/default.asp.
