After more than a decade heading up La Center’s schools, Superintendent Mark Mansell plans to announce his resignation this week.
Mansell, 55, will make his formal announcement Tuesday, planning to make June 30 his last day in the position. Now in his 11th year on the job, Mansell said it’s simply time for a change.
“The key thing here is that I believe that superintendents have a shelf life,” Mansell said. “It’s healthy to have a change of perspective.”
That’s especially true in La Center’s case, he said, as the district and the community are facing a few major changes in the coming years.
One of the biggest issues going forward is growth: Does the district need to expand? Will it need to pass a bond measure to build larger facilities and more schools?
“We have maximized about every nook and cranny we can in the district,” Mansell said. “Growth is something that is hot on our radar screen again, and we have to do something about it.”
And, of course, the Cowlitz Indian Tribe is also moving forward on plans to build a massive new casino-resort on the west side of Interstate 5, just beyond city limits. Tribal Chairman Bill Iyall sees construction beginning within a year.
“It’s on the cusp of happening,” Mansell said. “There’s got to be that fresh perspective that says, ‘What does that mean?'”
As for what’s next for Mansell, that’s still up in the air. He and his wife plan to put their La Center home up for sale, but leaving the community wouldn’t be easy, Mansell said.
“I call it a little patch of heaven in north Clark County,” he said.
Most superintendent search processes happen later in the school year, but Mansell said he planned to announce his move early to give the district more time to find his successor.
“I really want the board and the stakeholders to have time to think about this,” he said.
After leaving, Mansell said, he may look for a teaching job.
If he doesn’t find anything, he and his wife may take some time out to travel abroad on their bicycles.
