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After an abbreviated attempt at landing a permanent superintendent last school year, the Pleasant Ridgte Union School District has found a new leader.
The Lake of the Pines-area school district, which is the largest elementary school district in Nevada County, will welcome Britta Skavdahl as its new superintendent July 1.
Skavdahl replaces Jim Meshwert, who returned to the district this year after former superintendent Linda Rooney resigned to take a job in Rocklin.
Skavdahl, 51, comes to the district from the two-school, 650-student Curtis Creek Elementary School District in Sonora, in Tuolumne County. She was a candidate when the Pleasant Ridge district first made the job available in January, but withdrew because she didn’t want to leave her district in the middle of the year.
In joining Pleasant Ridge, Skavdahl will be in charge of a district that is facing similar challenges of declining enrollment and a budget crunch. Skavdahl said her school board in Sonora voted recently to close one of the district’s two schools because of declining enrollment.
“When you have unprecedented budget cuts on top of declining enrollment, it’s just another challenging layer to the job,” she said.
Nevertheless, “I think it’s going to be a great situation (at Pleasant Ridge). I love the area. I think it’s gorgeous.
“I’m enthralled with the school district and I think the education is world-class.”
Pleasant Ridge has been led for the past year by Meshwert, who has been associated with the district as a teacher, administrator or consultant since 1968.
The district paid the California School Boards Association $12,500 to conduct a search for Rooney’s replacement. When no suitable candidates were found, Meshwert, 64, came out of retirement to serve as interim superintendent.
In order to keep his retirement benefits intact, he had to obtain a waiver from the state teachers retirement system, and his salary was limited to 50 percent of what the previous superintendent earned, or about $57,000, Meshwert said.
“The unexpected opportunity to serve as superintendent reminded me of why I did this job for 29 years in the first place. I love this job,” he said.
Skavdahl, 51, is a doctoral candidate at the University of LaVerne along with Nevada Joint Union High School District superintendent Ralf Swenson. She has one son.
She signed a three-year contract that will pay her $114,000, annually, not including benefits.
Staff writer David Mirhadi can be reached at 477-4239 or dmirhadi@theunion.com.
The Lake of the Pines-area school district, which is the largest elementary school district in Nevada County, will welcome Britta Skavdahl as its new superintendent July 1.
Skavdahl replaces Jim Meshwert, who returned to the district this year after former superintendent Linda Rooney resigned to take a job in Rocklin.
Skavdahl, 51, comes to the district from the two-school, 650-student Curtis Creek Elementary School District in Sonora, in Tuolumne County. She was a candidate when the Pleasant Ridge district first made the job available in January, but withdrew because she didn’t want to leave her district in the middle of the year.
In joining Pleasant Ridge, Skavdahl will be in charge of a district that is facing similar challenges of declining enrollment and a budget crunch. Skavdahl said her school board in Sonora voted recently to close one of the district’s two schools because of declining enrollment.
“When you have unprecedented budget cuts on top of declining enrollment, it’s just another challenging layer to the job,” she said.
Nevertheless, “I think it’s going to be a great situation (at Pleasant Ridge). I love the area. I think it’s gorgeous.
“I’m enthralled with the school district and I think the education is world-class.”
Pleasant Ridge has been led for the past year by Meshwert, who has been associated with the district as a teacher, administrator or consultant since 1968.
The district paid the California School Boards Association $12,500 to conduct a search for Rooney’s replacement. When no suitable candidates were found, Meshwert, 64, came out of retirement to serve as interim superintendent.
In order to keep his retirement benefits intact, he had to obtain a waiver from the state teachers retirement system, and his salary was limited to 50 percent of what the previous superintendent earned, or about $57,000, Meshwert said.
“The unexpected opportunity to serve as superintendent reminded me of why I did this job for 29 years in the first place. I love this job,” he said.
Skavdahl, 51, is a doctoral candidate at the University of LaVerne along with Nevada Joint Union High School District superintendent Ralf Swenson. She has one son.
She signed a three-year contract that will pay her $114,000, annually, not including benefits.
Staff writer David Mirhadi can be reached at 477-4239 or dmirhadi@theunion.com.
