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Board to consider three principals and administrator

by Scott Murphy, Staff Writer

MINDEN — Three principals are expected to be named by Douglas County school board trustees today.

Superintendent John Soderman said it’s critical to fill the three principal positions at Gardnerville and Zephyr Cove elementary schools and Carson Valley Middle School as soon as possible.

Soderman is recommending Martin Swisher to replace the retiring Rita Elliot at the middle school, Chris Perdomo to replace Dr. Robbie Robison, who is also retiring, at Zephyr Cove and Cris Etchegoyhen to replace Cissy Tucker at Gardnerville.



Tucker, whose hiring last year angered many parents and had to be completed a second time in September because of an open meeting law violation during a May school board meeting, is returning to teaching.

Soderman endorsed the candidates after the three met earlier this month with a committee of district officials, teachers and parents. He also also interviewed the candidates and checked their references.



Swisher, who was chosen from among seven finalists for the middle school job, taught there from 1994 to 2000 and spent the past two school years teaching English at Pau-Wa-Lu Middle School. He also administered the district’s summer school program in 2001.

Etchegoyhen and Perdomo were chosen among five finalists for the two elementary principal positions.

Etchegoyhen started working for the district in 1983 and is a former Douglas High School English teacher. She has worked at the school district’s professional development center and has been an interim vice principal at the Gardnerville school. She has been the district’s coordinator of curriculum, competencies and projects since 1996. She is married to Douglas County commissioner Jacques Etchegoyhen.

Perdomo is a former Carson City elementary school teacher where she worked with fifth- and third-grade students with disabilities.

In 1999, Perdomo became vice principal at Meneley Elementary School. Since last fall, she has been vice principal at Pau-Wa-Lu Middle School.

Frankie McCabe will be recommended to become the district’s new director of special services and programs.

She will oversee the district’s special education program.

McCabe is a former Reno school teacher who taught in Washoe County schools from 1989-1996. Since 1996, she has been a special education consultant for the Nevada Department of Education.

The meeting is Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Douglas High School library.


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