Scott Swanson
Of The New Era
School District No. 55, which lost two of its top high school administrators, is moving quickly to make sure those vacancies are filled as quickly as possible.
Assistant Principal/Athletic Director Steve Emmert and Assistant Principal Daymond Monteith both recently announced their resignations, Monteith on the day of the July 11 School Board meeting.
Emmert is taking a job with the Sherwood School District, while Monteith is returning to Mazama High School, from which he came last fall.
“It’s a real shame,” said Superintendent Larry Horton of the departures. “They’re both what I consider highest quality administrators.
Former Athletic Director Larry Johnson will serve as athletic director and assistant principal while the district searches for a replacement for Emmert. A search is on to find a replacement for Monteith before the school year begins, Horton said.
“We’re fortunate Larry is here,” he said. “We’ll put Larry in for the short term. But Steve and Daymond will be difficult to replace.”
Horton said Monteith’s wife’s family lives in the Klamath Falls area and that Monteith decided to return there.
Emmert, who will be 47 on July 21, leaves after having been with the Sweet Home district for 22 years, starting as an English teacher at the high school in 1984. He said he decided to leave because he wants to be a principal.
“I have been interested for a couple of years in pursuing a principalship,” Emmert said. “I don’t think there are going to be things opening up around here, so I decided to look around.”
He said he discovered the Sherwood opening in May, rather late, and called to find out more about the position, which was for an assistant principal at the district’s lone middle school, which has some 1,000 students, Emmert said. Sherwood is finishing up a bond to build a new middle school, and the assistant principal is expected to become the principal of the new school.
“I talked to the superintendent and he encouraged me to apply,” Emmert said. “I did. It was later than I would have chosen, but it worked out.”
Emmert grew up in Sweet Home, graduating from Sweet Home High in 1977. He graduated from Western Baptist (now Corban) College in 1983, with a bachelor’s degree in education and minors in Bible and psychology, and earned a teaching credential from Western Oregon University. After teaching a year at Cascade Christian High School in Medford, he returned to Sweet Home with his wife Sandi and their son Chad.
In his 22 years with the local school district, he taught English, coached volleyball and softball, and served as vice principal at Sweet Home Junior High for two years before taking his present position as assistant principal and athletic director at the high school four years ago. From 1990-96 he took a break from teaching to serve as an associate pastor at Community Chapel.
With their three children graduated, Emmert said, “we have some freedom” to make a move like this.
The Emmerts have put their house on the market. Sandi Emmert, who has been registrar at the high school for the last year and will stay until a replacement is trained, Steve Emmert said.
“For us it is bittersweet,” Emmert said, noting that the couple has many relatives in the area. “We’re excited about the new opportunity but it’s always sad to say goodbye to people, to make a change. The upside is that we’re only an hour and a half away. This will always be home to us.”
He said it’s particularly difficult to leave behind young people he has mentored. In fact, he said, one of the reasons he chose to make this move is because Tim Faulconer, a high school student he and Sandi took in last year, has graduated.
“We say we have four kids now,” Emmert said.
“A lot of these kids have my cell phone number and know if they need to call, they can call,” he said. “I’m hoping someone else can walk into their lives and make a difference. I think those kids know I’m committed to them for life. That part is gut-wrenching for me.”
Plus, he said, there’s always a possibility he could return.
“I never close doors behind me,” Emmert said. “I’ve tried for years to live one year at a time. I listen for the Lord’s leading and this door is open right now. We may get up there and everything may sit well and we may stay. Who knows?”