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School Board Praises Supt. Holst’s Leadership

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By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer

After months of guiding the School District through the challenges of operating during a pandemic, Superintendent John Holst received high marks in an evaluation by the School Board on Wednesday, the district announced today.

The board in particular praised Holst’s advocacy for students.

“The five-member board unanimously gave Mr. Holst the highest rating of ‘exceeds’ in relation to his advocacy for student learning as the district’s top priority… (as well as) developing and implementing procedures and practices that ensure the safety and well-being of students and employees,” the district press release said.

Holst’s ability to communicate well with others earned him the praise of board president Amy Morrison.

“He is very good at keeping open communications with everybody, the board, the staff, the community, parents, and families. That is probably his number one strength,” Morrison said in an interview today.

She highlighted the superintendent’s willingness to incorporate a wide range of views.

“Just his overall leadership style. He gets input from as many people as he possibly can… He really seeks input from his administrative team and everyone else to make a decision collectively as a group,” she said.

Morrison said Sitka schools may not have opened in August as they did without Holst at the helm.

“It’s played a huge role; I honestly don’t think that without his leadership our schools would have opened in the fall the way they did,” Morrison said. Local schools opened for in-person learning in late August with a suite of virus mitigation protocols in place.

The district press release echoed this. It “praised Mr. Holst for his unwavering dedication to the district in the midst of a pandemic. His leadership has been instrumental in having our schools open with in-classroom instruction for as long as possible.”

She added that Holst could improve by taking a little more time off of work.

“Take a little time off and slow down – he’s probably working twelve-plus hours per day,” she said.

Local schools shifted to virtual learning Wednesday after a spike in coronavirus cases in Sitka. The district plans to announce details on plans to reopen buildings for in-person learning on Friday, November 20.

Board member Blossom Teal-Olsen agreed with Morrison that Holst’s leadership helped keep the schools open this fall.

“John came into this position and we really have to credit him for his hard work. I don’t think our schools would have been kept open for as long as they have been, considering where all the other school districts are in the state,” Teal-Olsen told the Sentinel.

Speaking on the search for a permanent superintendent to replace Holst when he steps down in July, Teal-Olsen said she hopes to find someone to pick up where Holst left off.

“This has been on all of our minds on the board. We’ve really come together and worked on what the school district would need to continue where John has left off. John came on and he really helped the school district grow and navigate during this hard time. (The permanent superintendent is) going to be someone who holds a lot of what John has brought and hopefully we’ll find someone that will continue where he left off,” Teal-Olsen said.

Holst was thankful for the compliments.

“It was a nice evaluation and I appreciated their positive comments,” Holst told the Sentinel.

He noted that education in Sitka has gone fairly well when compared to some other districts in the state.

“Most things have gone well I think. I get to talk with superintendents around the state routinely. We have at least one zoom a week…. And in most places things are not going smoothly. There is a lot of arguing and bickering and backbiting. This is probably an island unto itself in that we all seem to bet getting along okay. Everyone understands that its a lousy situation,” Holst said. He noted that he is “truly enjoying working with this board.”

Holst credited some of this success to transparency.

“We tried to be very transparent… that goes a long way, to develop trust,” he said.

Morrison thanked Holst for serving as a steady hand during turbulent months.

“We’ve said it so many times, and I just can’t thank him enough for what he’s done for being a steady, calm presence in the middle of a storm. I can’t give him enough praise,” Morrison said.