Bremerton School District

An update from the Bremerton School Board

August 15, 2024

Focused Interim Superintendent Selected

Dear Bremerton Community,

As we move closer to the first day of school, we’re writing to share an update regarding the board’s process to interview candidates and select a focused interim superintendent for the start of the 2024-25 school year.

In our last update, the board shared that we would be proceeding with the interview of candidates to ensure a smooth start to the school year, minimize potential disruption for staff and students, and allow for the continued advancement of multiple major district initiatives.

After conducting interviews with several potential candidates earlier this week, the board has selected Donna Dearin-Colosky to serve as the District's focused interim superintendent to start the 2024-25 school year. She will assume this role on August 26.

Ms. Colosky previously served as interim superintendent for Bremerton School District for the 2022-23 school year. She was selected, in part, due to her familiarity with the district as well as her 25 years of experience in educational leadership and 38 years total in public education. Prior to serving as Bremerton School District’s interim superintendent in 2022-23, Ms. Colosky served as superintendent of the Mercer Island School District. She is a native of Vancouver, British Columbia, and she returned to the Pacific Northwest after a long career in public education in California including Superintendent of Paradise Unified District, and 27 years in the Apple Valley Unified School District in the High Desert area of southern California.

Dr. James Crawford remains on administrative leave while the third-party consultant with expertise in human resources continues to gather facts related to the BSD work environment and the tenor of interactions under Dr. Crawford’s leadership.

The board is confident in Ms. Colosky’s leadership and thankful for her expertise as she steps into this interim role. The board also understands the importance of maintaining regular communication with our families, staff, and community. We will continue to keep everyone informed about important announcements related to the new school year, and we will prioritize the sharing of information on this matter to the degree we are able. As a reminder, this and all previous updates from the board can be found on the district’s website and have been shared with families, staff, and e-newsletter subscribers.

Many thanks for your continued support and engagement.

Sincerely,

Bremerton School Board

The Bremerton School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employee(s) has been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Garth Steedman at 360.473.1031 or the Section 504 Coordinator, Mark Mayfield at 360.473.4702. Mailing address: 134 Marion Avenue North, Bremerton, WA 98312.