Battle Ground Public Schools administrative changes for 2026-27

Battle Ground Public Schools

July 28, 2026

Battle Ground has several administrative changes for the upcoming school year. The majority of the administrative changes for 2026-27 represent an elimination or consolidation of positions.

Since the 2024-25 school year, the district has seen a 16% reduction in all staff due to the loss of levy funding. By percentage, district administrators, building administrators and district administrative support roles are the groups most affected by the cuts.

Primary and middle schools

  • Captain Strong Primary and Chief Umtuch Middle School: Kirsten Talbott will serve as both schools’ assistant principal.

  • Daybreak Primary and Daybreak Middle School: Jessica Berry will remain Daybreak Primary’s assistant principal and also will serve as the middle school assistant principal next year.

  • Glenwood Heights Primary: Salina Machida will serve as Glenwood’s assistant principal.

  • Maple Grove Primary: Charb Gourde will be the school’s assistant principal, in addition to serving as the assistant principal at River HomeLink.

  • Pleasant Valley Primary and Pleasant Valley Middle School: Kirstin Kunihisa will continue to serve Pleasant Valley Primary. She also will serve as the assistant principal for Pleasant Valley Middle School. Erick Suksdorf is Pleasant Valley Middle School’s new principal.

  • Tukes Valley Primary and Tukes Valley Middle School: Colin Rush will serve as the assistant principal for both schools.

  • Yacolt Primary: Matt Stanfill is the new assistant principal at Yacolt Primary.

High schools

  • Prairie High School: Stephanie Watts, the interim principal for the 2025-26 school year, has been named the permanent principal. Erin Thompson and Jessica Drake will be the school’s assistant principals, and Jamal McKenzie will serve as the school’s dean of students.

  • Battle Ground High School: Justin Pierce will join the BGHS staff to serve as an assistant principal. In addition, Jonas Fridriksson has been named the interim dean of students.

  • Prairie and Battle Ground high schools: Everett Klodt will continue to serve as Prairie’s athletic director. He also will serve as the athletic director at Battle Ground High School.

Alternative schools

  • River HomeLink: Charb Gourde will serve as River HomeLink’s assistant principal in addition to serving at Maple Grove Primary.

More administrative changes

  • The following positions were eliminated: maintenance supervisor, assistant director of AWARE grant, director of human resources, director of federal programs and compliance, director of student supports and executive director of school improvement. Duties associated with those roles have been reassigned.

  • As part of the restructuring, the district added two new positions that will handle responsibilities from the eliminated roles:

    • Darren Fox is the district’s new director of student services.

    • Rick Howell joined the district as its new director of employee services & labor relations.

  • In addition, three roles vacated at the end of the 2025-26 school year have been filled:

    • David Kennedy will serve as a director of schools and learning.

    • Connor McCroskey was named the new executive director of special services.

    • Cate Winters will serve as the district’s new health services supervisor.

Did you know?

In other Washington state districts with 10,000 to 15,000 students, the average number of district administrators is 33. Battle Ground has 13,000 students and 21 administrators–about 36% fewer people.