South Whidbey Elementary principal appointed

Published 1:30 am Friday, March 13, 2026

New leadership is in place at South Whidbey Elementary School.

The school district announced Thursday the appointment of Jordan Young as principal, concluding a hiring process which lasted roughly four weeks. Current principal Susie Richards is retiring at the end of the school year after serving as principal at the elementary school since 2019.

A release highlighted Young’s student- and staff-centered approach to administration, and emphasized the district’s confidence in its choice.

“Throughout the selection process, Mrs. Young stood out for her systems-level thinking, her readiness to lead and the energy, vision and innovation she brings to her work,” the release states. “Her depth of communication to students, staff and the communities she serves was evident at every stage of the hiring process.”

Systems-level thinking, South Whidbey School District Superintendent Becky Clifford explained to The Record, is an understanding of how decision-making in one area of a school — curriculum, staffing, facilities and more — affects all others. That awareness is essential to overseeing South Whidbey Elementary and its alternative learning experience, or ALE, program.

“You cannot lead complex, interconnected schools by managing one problem at a time,” Clifford said.

Young grew up in the Lake Stevens area and is currently an assistant principal at Meadowdale High School. Her experience at the elementary, middle and high school levels is “uncommon at this stage of a career” and “speaks to both her range and her commitment to the full arc of student development,” the release states.

Young explained her experience and perspectives on administration at a public forum with the other two finalists for the principal position on March 13.

There, Young spoke to her success implementing restorative practices at a previous school, which led to a significant decline in referrals. Communication within schools and their wider communities remained a consistent theme in Young’s answers to questions.

Notably, only Young explicitly discussed the role of inclusivity in creating a safe learning environment. Young’s support of anti-racism practices and preparing students for a global society aligned with the district’s “vision and mission,” and “absolutely” factored into her hiring, the superintendent confirmed.

“Every student needs to feel they belong before they can learn. That is not ideology. It is basic educational practice,” Clifford said.

The district invited community members to provide feedback on all three finalists for the position during the forum, which the superintendent said the district “genuinely” took into consideration. Young received positive feedback, and “people responded to her breadth of her experience, her public presence and her clear sense of where she wants to take the school,” Clifford explained.

While Young’s professional achievements are clear, Clifford spoke highly of Young as a person, too. She described Young as “warm,” an attentive listener and having “grounded confidence.”

Young detailed her excitement to join South Whidbey Elementary in the release, and is looking forward to getting to know students, staff and families.