Naso to retire from North Clackamas School District

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) December 14, 2008 -- Ron Naso, reigning school superintendent of the year, will retire from the 17,476-student North Clackamas School District in June 2009.

That gives the state's sixth-largest district a little more than a year to find a replacement after his 14 years at the helm.

Naso joined the district in 1995 after serving as assistant superintendent of Wichita Public Schools in Wichita, Kan.

In his resignation letter, Naso, 66, wrote: "The years have passed quickly because I have enjoyed the people and the work."

Naso was named Oregon's school superintendent of the year in October 2007.

During his time heading up North Clackamas schools, the district has grappled with surging enrollment growth and sizeable increases in the number of impoverished students and kids who do not speak English.

The district responded by passing a $229.6 million construction bond in 2006 and championing a new law in 2007 that allows districts to adopt a construction excise tax to help raise money for new schools. As the district redraws school boundaries, socioeconomic status has been taken into consideration so schools will be as integrated as possible, said Lee Merrick, the district's school board of directors chairman.

"We've been very, very fortunate to have him as a leader," Merrick said.

He expects the school board will meet within the next few weeks to come up with a plan to find Naso's replacement.

beaverton school district     portland public schools