North Thurston superintendent gets 3-year contract extension, but no raise
North Thurston Public Schools Superintendent Deb Clemens will continue to lead Thurston County’s largest school district for another three years after the board approved an extension of her contract late last month.
Clemens has been superintendent since 2016. Although her contract was extended, her compensation package remains unchanged, according to district information.
Clemens will earn $247,909 in salary per year. She also receives a $29,000 annuity and $643.75 each month for travel.
The school board emerged from an executive session on Jan. 24 and voted to extend her contract without discussion. The Olympian reached out to all five board members by email, asking them to identify Clemens’ accomplishments and anything they feel she needs to work on.
Board President Gretchen Maliska responded the same day.
“We are grateful that Dr. Clemens signed a new contract to be our superintendent for an additional three years. She has been instrumental in leading this district and region through our strategic plan and extreme times with a pandemic. She has been steadfast, reliable and a great example for the staff and students at NTPS. We look forward to having her on board and leading us into the future.”
The Olympian waited to hear from the other school board members, then discovered that receiving one email was intentional after reaching out to former board president Dave Newkirk.
Newkirk said the board aims to speak with one voice. All of them received The Olympian email, he said, but then they sent their responses to the board president for her to respond.
“The district is fortunate to have Deb Clemens,” he said. “She’s been great for us since Day 1.”
Newkirk said Clemens is evaluated in executive session twice a year, plus she is evaluated throughout the year in board meetings.
North Thurston spokeswoman Amy Blondin shed light on the process.
“Each regular board meeting includes monitoring reports that measure the progress the superintendent has made toward the strategic plan goals adopted by the board in the fall,” she said.
The idea is to provide the public with transparency regarding the superintendent’s evaluation because it is done in the open, Blondin added.
North Thurston parent Mary Weber, who has frequently been critical of the district, called the extension disappointing.
“It is the responsibility of our school board and superintendent’s office to hold each other accountable, and within this district they don’t do that,” she said. “Within their current positions, they are a harmful, dismissive barrier to BIPOC student voices and the well-being of marginalized students.”
North Thurston student Katrina Hernandez, who recently addressed the Lacey City Council with concerns about the school district, questioned what Clemens has accomplished.
“What has she done? All she does is show up for the photo ops. She doesn’t care about student safety,” Hernandez told The Olympian. “When are we actually going to put people in charge who actually care about the physical and mental health.”
This story was originally published February 7, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
