Edmonds school superintendent Brossoit says hell retire
Published 3:31 pm Friday, December 4, 2015
EDMONDS — One of the longest-serving superintendents in Snohomish County will retire at the end of the school year.
Edmonds Superintendent Nick Brossoit on Friday informed staff of his decision. The district serves about 20,000 students.
“It is not an easy decision as I like being engaged with you in this important work as we go forward,” Brossoit wrote in an email. “Still, this decision will better honor and support my family interests.”
Brossoit was 45 when he was hired by the school district in the spring of 2004. Since then, the district’s graduation rate has risen from 63 percent to 83 percent.
Edmonds School Board President Diana White said Brossoit made contributions at the district and state levels, including advocating for the McCleary vs. State of Washington court decision to better fund K-12 public education. She said he also has a gift of making complex issues understandable.
“He is going to be hard to replace,” White said. “He is so visible.”
Brossoit grew up in Ephrata in Eastern Washington. He began his career as a teacher and coach in 1983 before going into administration a few years later. Before being hired in Edmonds, he was superintendent of the Tumwater School District for 10 years.
Alan Burke, executive director of the Washington State School Directors Association, said Brossoit’s 22 years as a superintendent is a long time.
“That is a tremendous run,” he said. “It is impressive to have that kind of longevity. He is really a bright guy. He doesn’t only understand what is done in his own district but statewide as well. He is really respected around the state.”
Brossoit said he had a sometimes bumpy childhood and decided on a career in public education for the chance to make a difference in the lives of young people, “just as teachers and coaches had a positive influence in my life growing up.”
Brossoit said he informed the school board this fall to give ample time to find his successor. His base salary this year is $243,266. Total compensation is $265,466, according to school district records.
For now, Brossoit said that his focus will remain on his duties with the school district and next year is “an open canvas and a blank pallet.”
As superintendent, he was able to hand his son, Kyle, his high school diploma. His son moved up from Tumwater as an eighth-grader. Today, he is a chemical engineer in Maryland. Brossoit’s daughter is a veterinarian in Pierce County.
He has two stepchildren, ages 8 and 9, from a second marriage and hopes to spend more time with them and his wife.
The school board will begin its search for a new superintendent next month.
White said Brossoit will be plenty busy before his replacement takes over.
“We have plans for him,” she said. “He is not done yet.”
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com.
