Pinedale Schools Pick New Superintendant
Peggy Sanders to relocate from Buffalo
by Jennifer Binning

On Wednesday morning, Sublette County School District #1 Board of Trustees Chairman Jim Malkowski announced that the board had chosen Peggy Sanders from Buffalo to replace outgoing Superintendent Gerry Wilson in July. Ms. Sanders is currently employed as the assistant superintendent for Johnson County School District #1 in Buffalo.

With 24 years of experience in education, Ms. Sanders graduated from the University of Wyoming with a B.A. in English and a minor in Education. She continued her education at Montana State University, garnering a Master's degree in Guidance and Counseling in 1975. In 1981 she returned to the University of Wyoming and earned an Ed.S or Education Specialist degree in Education. This year she was awarded an Institutional Endorsement for the Superintendency at Chadron State College, in Chadron, Nebraska.

When Dr. Wilson announced that he would be leaving the school district, the school board scrambled to find a replacement. The four top candidates held evening question and answer sessions last week, in which the school board asked the public to give them their unvarnished impressions of the applicants for the job.

According to several attendees, many community members came to the forums and submitted comments, but unless people went to all four meetings, it was difficult to come to an unbiased conclusion about any of the candidates. Lynn Grassell, the mother of four, went to all of the presentations and she came away feeling that Ms. Sanders was one of two candidates who clearly stood out from the rest. Ms.Grassell said she was encouraged that Ms. Sanders seemed to be a very strong administrator, who was well aware of the fact that the school district was losing a tremendous amount of money due to home schooling and that funding was in danger of falling further due to a pending Supreme Court decision. "I don't think she will be easily intimidated by a strong board or an aggressive teaching staff. She impressed me as being a solid, strong willed, strong woman."

Max Lundberg also attended all of the candidate sessions, and came away with the same impressions as Ms. Grassell. "She [Sanders] was clear, level headed and thoughtful," he said in an interview on Tuesday. "She understands what she wants to do, and I don't think she will be easily distracted. I think she will get along very well in Pinedale." Both Mr. Lundberg and Ms. Grassell liked having the community involvement in the search for a superintendent and when they called school board members, they felt their comments were well received.

Board Chair Jim Malkowski was unavailable for comment on Wednesday morning, but another member of the board said, "It was the best thing we ever did, to have the public and staff open forum. Having their input was invaluable and it definitely helped us to make our decision." The decision was not an easy one, but this board member was "very pleased that they were able to make such a very difficult, tough choice."

Ms. Sanders will begin her duties on July 1.