The past seven months have brought great change to the Coupeville School District, with controversial budget cuts, the elimination and subsequent return of a beloved dean of students and the absence of the assistant principal, among other things.

The latest chapter in this series is Superintendent Steve King’s announcement that he will resign at the end of the school year, with his last day being June 28, 2024.

In a letter sent to the Board of Directors on Jan. 4, King said the past six years have been particularly challenging and have taken a toll on his health.

“When I came to the district in the summer of 2018 there was great alignment between my core values and the expectations of the job of Coupeville Superintendent,” King wrote in the letter, mentioning the changes the world and Coupeville have gone through during his tenure. “It is clear that the alignment, unity and sense of purpose I felt when I took this position have diminished to the point that I need to step away.”

King had already manifested his interest in leaving the district less than a year ago. Last spring, he applied to be the superintendent at Lakewood School District and was a finalist for the position. However, he did not land the job.

“At the time a fresh start in a larger school district and a move to that region was something I found intriguing,” he wrote in the email to the Whidbey News-Times.

King said his decision to leave had nothing to do with the board’s upcoming discussion about whether to extend his contract. In an email, he said he has no idea whether his contract would have been extended or not. Currently, his contract runs until June 2025, so that did not influence his decision, he wrote. He earns about $200,000 a year.

In the email, King also talked about challenges and accomplishments over his time as superintendent.

King acknowledged the difficulty in making budget reductions during a time when students need more support from a mental and learning perspective, particularly after the pandemic.

The change that caused the most public outrage was perhaps the elimination of Tom Black’s dean of students position, which was restored to part-time in September to make up for Assistant Principal Leonard Edlund’s absence due to health concerns. When Edlund informed the school in December that he was not returning, Black was restored to a full-time schedule to continue assisting with supervision and discipline issues.

In previous meetings with the board, community members have expressed their disapproval about the cost of the school’s food program, which they argued should not have taken priority over things such as paraeducator hours. Board Member Sherry Phay echoed this opinion, and when the rest of the board voted to approve the budget cuts back in July, she represented the lone “nay” vote.

In the email, King defended the Connected Food program, saying it has been very successful since it began in 2019 and was recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture.

“Yes, we have had increases in expenses but we have also had increases in revenues and participation,” he wrote.

King provided a comparison of contributions to food programs from 2019-2022, pointing out that Coupeville had the smallest district contributions to the food programs when compared to the South Whidbey and Oak Harbor school districts.

For example, in the 2021-22 school year, Coupeville spent $774,573 on its food program, while South Whidbey and Oak Harbor spent respectively $585,599 and $4,216,882, King wrote.

According to the final 2023-24 budget on the school’s website, this school year the district is expecting to spend $917,480 for food services.

King highlighted the importance of providing healthy and scratch cooked meals that are locally sourced “in such a financially responsible way.” Still, he said, the school has made significant reductions to food service staff while adding breakfast for elementary students.

Back in 2021, an investigation looked into allegations made against King, but he was ultimately cleared.

During an executive session on Feb. 22, 2021, Phay said that numerous district employees had reported to her that King was misogynistic and that he retaliated against employees who criticized his behavior. For example, a candidate for a diversity and equity consultant position alleged that, after she corrected King’s use of the word “incident” when he referred to the murder of George Floyd, he said “something to the effect that, in his position, he was not accustomed to being corrected by a woman, much less an African American woman,” according to the report.

Jessie Harris, an attorney from Seattle who was hired to investigate the allegations, found that King did not discriminate or retaliate against anyone. Shortly after, the board published a press release supporting the superintendent. King said the incident did not affect his decision to leave.

When listing the accomplishments he was proud of, King pointed to the district prioritizing the mental health and well-being of students by providing more mental health and counseling support.

Other accomplishments King listed include the following: the district’s ability to navigate the pandemic and keep its leadership together; the elimination of over 20 half days and implementing weekly one-hour early releases that he wrote resulted in more meaningful student days and more professional development for staff; the addition of two student services directors; the growth of student assistance and support programs; the increase of outdoor learning opportunities; the negotiation of contracts for employees and the creation of competitive wages; the increase of student participation in athletics and activities after the pandemic; the addition of surveillance cameras, the development of ways to transition into emergencies, and the partnership with first responders; and the district passing three levy measures in February 2022.

“Only five other districts in the state were able to pass three measures during the pandemic,” King wrote in the email. “We have a supportive community and have had high levels of trust with our community in order to have the levy record that we have.”

In his email, King said he doesn’t have plans for the future yet, but he has been considering relocating close to his grandchildren who no longer live in the area — which he added is part of the reason why he is resigning.

In the letter, King wrote he is committed to ensuring a smooth transition and supporting the school’s staff and leadership, and expressed his gratitude to the students, staff and community.

In a statement emailed to the Whidbey News-Times, Board Member Morgan White thanked King for his service on behalf of the board and the district. She announced the board will conduct a retreat this week to discuss next steps and will inform the community about the plan as soon as possible.