Will continue at Oroville until end of school year in June

OROVILLE – Oroville School District Superintendent tendered his resignation to the school board last Thursday and announced he would be leaving the district at the end of this school year, June 30, 2016.

Quick, who has worked for the school district for eleven years, five as the junior/senior high principal and six as the superintendent, told the board he was asking with four months still in the school year so the board could begin the process of finding his replacement.

“My wife and I have thoroughly enjoyed our time in Oroville meeting many wonderful people, raising our children and working with many wonderful students, staff, board members and community members. Our memories of Oroville will always be dear,” writes Quick to the board in his Jan. 21 letter.

He also let the staff know about his decision in a school wide email last week.

When asked Monday what he felt were the positive accomplishments of the district during his time here, Quick said they mostly dealt with facilities improvements.

“Being able to pass the capital levy and fix the roof on the elementary was a big deal. And we are always doing things to upgrade the facilities to make them look better and be safer for students and staff,” he said, adding that improving curriculum has also been a goal of the board.

“Keeping up on technology has been huge for the board, working toward one-to-one computing for the kids is getting closer to being accomplished,” he adds. “We are lucky to have someone like Ed Naillon to help us keep ahead on tech.”

If he could have done anything differently, Quick couldn’t point to any one thing he’d change.

“This was my first job as a superintendent, while I certainly didn’t do everything perfectly I feel I learned from the experience to be better for myself and career,” he said.

He said one of the hardest struggles at a small rural district is finding quality staff.

“In general it is hard to find quality people who want to live in a rural area, especially when we already have a shortage of teachers state wide and nationally,” said Quick.

He said while the rural area and the outdoors were a draw to him and his family when they first moved here, it isn’t everyone’s choice of a place to live.

Another challenge will have to do with the facilities in the district which are getting older.

“The high school facility is aging and the building itself will need a remodel in the coming years. While the elementary got a new roof the building is still aging and there is a lot to be done, like improvements to the cafeteria and kitchen, as well as the restrooms.”

Quick said he and his wife Marsallai will miss the friends they made in Oroville the most.

“We made a lot of friends personally and raised our kids here,” said Quick. “I’ll also miss the staff and the personal friends I have made. But it hit me about a year ago that it might be time to move on.”

The Quicks have three children, Austianna, Reianna and Connelly, who all graduated from Oroville High School.

Astianna is married and living in Utah and just gave the Quick’s their first grandchild. Reianna and Connelly are attending BYU Idaho, he said.

Quick said he enjoyed waterskiing and hiking in the hills around Oroville.

“I’ll miss all the many things that Oroville has to do,” he said.

The superintendent said that most districts advertise for new superintendents January through April and while he’s looking for a new job, the Oroville district will be looking for his replacement. Quick, who grew up in Spokane where his parents still live, said he won’t limit his search to Eastern Washington and maybe not even to just Washington State.

“We might want to chose something closer to our new grandbaby,” he said.

The school board voted to accept the superintendent’s resignation at last Monday evening’s board meeting.

School Board Chairman Mike Egerton said his goal is to make the process of finding a new superintendent one that involves as much public input as he can get.