By Starla Pointer • Staff Writer • 

Dayton seeks interim superintendent, interim jr./sr. high principal

DAYTON -- Superintendent Jason Hay is leaving the Dayton School District.

After months of controversy that divided the community, the school board reached a separation agreement with Hay at a special meeting Tuesday night. He will remain with the district through July, although he won't handle any personnel decisions during that time.

Working with the Oregon School Boards Association, the board plans to hire an interim superintendent for the 2019-20 school year. He or she will start Aug. 1.

In addition, the board decided to hire an interim principal to lead Dayton Jr./Sr. High School for the year. The district plans to ask the personnel director from Willamette Education Service District to recommend an internal candidate for the position.

The interim principal will replace Jamie Fluke, who had been principal of the high school since 2011 and junior high principal prior to leading both schools.

Fluke resigned suddenly in March after the superintendent announced he planned to recommend her contract not be renewed. She said legal advisers told her resigning was the only way to avoid a black mark on her record.

She originally planned to stay through June 2020, then earlier this month resigned effective June 30, 2019, to take another job.

Fluke's resignation sparked outrage from high school students and community members, who said she had been treated unfairly by Hay. Dozens of people spoke at each of the subsequent board meetings, decrying the superintendent and the board.

Board members who hired Hay in 2017 said they supported his decisions. However, in deciding to hire an interim high school principal, they reversed his decision to appoint Dayton Grade School Principal Stephanie Ewing to the post.

Tuesday's special meeting was attended by about 20 members of the public. No one offered public comment, although several people -- including newly elected board members Chris Wytoski and Jeffrey Crapper, who will be seated in July, did make suggestions when the board was drawing up a list of qualities and qualifications for the interim superintendent.

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