Dear Osprey Community,
The Animas High School Board of Directors, in our January 20th meeting, agreed to immediately commence a formal search for the Head of School position, which would start in summer 2015.
Last year Animas High School experienced some personnel changes, which are never easy. During that difficult time, Jake Lauer, our Head of School since 2013, took on the additional responsibilities of Executive Director at the request of the AHS Board until a formal search process for a redefined Head of School could begin. In the summer of 2014, the board chose to postpone the search because the school was in transition, and a formal search would take quite some time. Jake was able to provide a critical continuity of leadership and hard work during that time, and we have made solid progress with him at the helm. Animas’ enrollment is the highest it’s ever been, our students continue to have a 100% college-acceptance rate, and our school culture is strong and inclusive. The Board appreciates Jake for stepping into this role and for his passion and dedication to AHS all the while knowing a formal HOS search could be on the horizon. The decision to move forward with a formal search at this time in no way means we do not respect or appreciate Jake’s hard work over the past year.
Part of what makes Animas High School unique is its rigorous hiring process referred to as Bonanza, which is a critical part of our culture of excellence. Bonanza is a hiring process that allows for input from multiple stakeholders. We believe that AHS thrives as an inclusive community where input from all of our stakeholders is collected, heard and seriously considered for each position at Animas High School. It is important as an institution that we honor our Bonanza process and our commitment to a formal search.
While our search will be national, we strongly encourage Jake Lauer and any other qualified local candidates to apply for our Head of School position.
The success of Animas High School and our students is our first priority. We will work hard to ensure that the search process and any transition will not distract from the learning environment at AHS. We are looking forward to finalizing the head of school position!
The Board will provide updates to our school community on the search process on the Animas High School website and through emails to our stakeholders. If a transition in leadership does occur, we will develop a transition plan to ensure AHS continues to move forward smoothly.
If you have any questions or would like to talk, please contact AHS Board President Melissa Youssef at [email protected] or come to the next board meeting scheduled for tomorrow, January 27th, 2015 at 5:30 at AHS.
Thank you,
Animas High School Board of Directors