ARLINGTON — The dean of Snohomish County school superintendents announced she will retire at the end of the school year.
Linda Byrnes, 61, told the Arlington School Board of her decision at its meeting Tuesday night. She is in her 12th year of leading the district.
“It’s a good time for this district,” Byrnes said. “It’s a wonderful time for the transition.”
Arlington can focus more energy on improving student achievement rather than worrying about replacing old buildings, she said.
Byrnes played a key role in getting a bond measure passed in 2000 that allowed the school district to build a new high school, middle school and two elementary schools.
At the top of the list was the new Arlington High School. There had been more than a dozen previous attempts to pass a bond measure for a new high school. Each failed.
School board President Kay Duskin said Byrnes stepped into a tough situation. Many people in the community agreed schools needed to be improved, but couldn’t agree on a bond package.
“Linda worked tirelessly over the next four years to pass our first capital bond in decades,” Duskin said.
A $54 million bond measure turned into nearly $100 million in improvements with creative financing and state matching money.
“Her creativity in uncovering and coordinating revenue sources was phenomenal,” Duskin said.
When another companion ballot measure for a new performing arts center failed, Byrnes also led a community-wide effort to build it.
It took more than five years of hard work from a small army of volunteers to raise the money. The center opened last spring and, to Byrnes’ surprise, the building was named after her.
Byrnes said she plans to remain in Arlington and might consider a run for political office, but has not decided on what. She once served as a Lake Stevens City Council member.
She and her husband, Dennis, will both retire at the end of the year. Dennis Byrnes teaches at the Sno-Isle Tech Skills Center in south Everett.
Byrnes said she made the announcement early in the school year to give the district enough time to field quality candidates.
The school board will hire a search firm to look for a new superintendent.
The firm will set a schedule to talk to staff and local residents. The plan is to set up candidate interviews by February and choose a new superintendent by March.
Reporter Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446 or e-mail stevick@heraldnet.com.
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