For decades, the Chehalis School District has earned a reputation for excellence.
It’s been a model of public education, gaining state and even national attention for its career and college readiness programs. For the past five years, every single W.F. West High School graduate has been accepted into some form of post-secondary education — from four-year universities to apprenticeships and military service.
But that reputation was challenged in the court of public opinion recently.
When we published a news article revealing that the outgoing superintendent of the Chehalis School District received a $350,000 severance package — bringing her total pay for the year to $545,000 — many readers were outraged. The idea that local taxpayers would foot such a massive bill to make someone leave their job seemed incomprehensible.
And at first glance, it is. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: this isn’t a Chehalis problem. It’s a Washington state problem.
Since publishing our article, I’ve looked deeper. And what I found should alarm anyone who believes in responsible governance.
In recent years:
• Ridgefield paid their outgoing superintendent over $544,000
• Snoqualmie paid out $600,000
• Marysville: $430,000
• Monroe: $400,000
• Sedro-Woolley: nearly $290,000
Did every one of these school boards suddenly lose their collective minds? Of course not. They were all operating under the same broken system — one created and protected by state lawmakers in Olympia.
Here’s the reality: under Washington state law, firing a public employee — especially a superintendent — is extraordinarily difficult and risky. Courts in our state treat a public job as the personal property of the employee. That means you can't simply terminate someone for being a bad fit, poor communicator or ineffective leader — even if students, parents and staff are all suffering the consequences.
Unless there is ironclad proof of gross misconduct or criminal activity, districts are stuck. And even with cause, firing someone often results in years of litigation, massive legal fees and the very real possibility that the fired employee will not only be reinstated but awarded damages by the court applying state law, back pay and attorney’s fees. All are paid for by taxpayers.
As a former Chehalis City Council member, I’ve seen how these laws handcuff local governments. What looks like a wasteful payout is often a cost-saving move in disguise. Severance packages may look outrageous — but they are frequently the cheaper, safer, and faster option compared to a legal battle the district is likely to lose.
Is this the best way to run a public school system? Not even close.
Taxpayers should be upset — not at local school boards trying to do the right thing under impossible constraints, but at the state laws that created this mess in the first place. These laws don’t protect kids. They protect powerful employees from accountability. And they put school boards in a no-win situation: keep a struggling leader in place, or pay a fortune to make them go away.
In a perfect world, every superintendent would be a strong, community-minded leader who puts students first. But when that doesn’t happen, local boards need the authority to act — without fear of bankrupting the district in the process.
Thankfully, situations like this are the exception, not the rule in Lewis County. Our local school boards have a strong track record of hiring capable, community-focused superintendents who work in partnership with the board to deliver a high-quality education for our kids.
While this recent case was unfortunate, it shouldn't overshadow the many years of success we've seen thanks to the steady leadership guiding our local schools.
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Chad Taylor is the publisher and co-owner of The Chronicle. He can be reached at chad@chronline.com.
