As Tahoma begins gearing up for next year, changes are coming. One of the biggest changes is the fact that the district will be welcoming in a new superintendent. On May 21, the two finalist for the position shared their visions for Tahoma, and what they would bring to our district. I was fortunate enough to serve as a student stakeholder on one of the listening panels. Both candidates had their own unique vision for Tahoma, and both offered many great ideas for the future. The Tahoma School Board used stakeholder opinions and community input when making their decision. The next day, May 22, the board announced the candidate they had chosen to represent Tahoma as the next superintendent of our district. It was a 5-0 vote by the board to elect Tony Giurado, chief academic officer from Mesa County School District in Grand Junction, Colorado.

Giurado’s vision for Tahoma incorporated the beliefs of “teaching students for their future rather than [their parents’] past.” He acknowledged the importance of technology in education, and that we need to prepare our students for the technological world that we live in today. Mr. Giurado explained that the first thing he plans on doing as superintendent is to build relationships. He stated that he wants to build relationships with all stakeholders — community members, educators, support staff, and students. He wants to be involved, and wants to create a bond with the people involved in our district. He exemplified his statement during his “vision for Tahoma” presentation. He started by asking what different stakeholders were in the room, and continuously acknowledged individuals throughout his presentation, making everyone feel valued.

At the community forum later in the evening, Tony was asked his views on school safety. He told his personal experiences with school shootings, sharing that he was part of Jefferson County (Jeffco) Public Schools — home of Columbine High School — during the tragic school shooting in 2001. He shared that students and their safety will always come first.

Tony Giurado will be a great fit in Tahoma School District, and he looks forward to starting next school year off on the right foot.