Marysville School District names interim superintendent

MARYSVILLE, Wash. - To say it's been a difficult time for the Marysville School District is an understatement. The district is facing a multi-million dollar deficit, with the state auditor calling it the most alarming audit involving public school finances in over a decade.

After a complaint was filed with the state a couple of weeks ago, calling for an investigation into the superintendent, the school board announced that Dr. Zachary Robbins is now out.

The board announced Thursday night that Dr. David Burgess would be replacing him as interim superintendent. Burgess is pictured below, addressing members of the district after being named interim superintendent.

The mood was one of excitement for many parents, students and educators who have long been calling for change.  

The board called Robbins' exit "amicable" in a statement issued Wednesday night to staff, and people who FOX 13 Seattle spoke with on Thursday at the meeting are hoping for a brighter future with new leadership. 

On Thursday, the board officially parted ways with Robbins, issuing a statement ahead of the meeting that read;

"Through no fault of either party, both the school board and Dr. Robbins believe that it is the best interest of the district and the superintendent to move forward with a change in leadership."

"I’m going to make a motion to sever ties with Dr. Robbins," said school board president Connor Krebbs during Thursday's meeting. "I’m going to make a motion to approve the interim superintendent Dr. Dave Burgess."

During Thursday's meeting, Kenzie Bornheimer, a fourth-grade Liberty Elementary School student, looked on anxiously. She proudly wore her Liberty Elementary shirt, with the eagle mascot displayed on the front.  

The Liberty Eagles became endangered after former superintendent Dr. Zachary Robbins and his team proposed closing schools like Liberty to make up for budget deficits.

Kenzie hopes the change in leadership prompts a change of heart.

"I just hope that they don’t close our school," said Kenzie Bornheimer. "I want to be able to go in 5th grade."

Burgess, who already lives in the community, and has also previously served as a superintendent, promised change as he spoke to meeting attendees. 

When asked if Burgess was planning on doing things differently than former superintendent Robbins, he said yes. 

"Well, of course, there are a number of things. First of all, I know we have to reach out and build bridges and bring people into the conversation, to make the district a model of success," said Burgess. 

Many who had been calling for Robbins' ouster were hopeful.

"I hope we start to stabilize the school district," said J. Hooman, parent and founder of the Marysville Community Coalition. 

As for school closures, Burgess says that may still be under consideration. 

"Certainly there is a possibility we will have to close schools, just to create an economy of scale," said Burgess. 

Only time will tell, but Kenzie plans to keep an eagle eye on the process. 

"We have so many nice teachers," said Kenzie. 

As for next steps, Burgess says he will be meeting with the OSPI special administrator on Friday and will be generating ideas on how to work together to resolve financial issues. Then, he says he plans to meet with building administrators to offer support and talk about accountability. 

Burgess says he doesn't plan on bringing in a new team of administrators right now. He says he has no desire to "conduct a purge" and wants to build teams, not tear things apart.

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