New Richland Schools Superintendent backs out of job

RICHLAND, Wash.-- It's back to the drawing board for the Richland School District, after the candidate it selected as the new Superintendent withdrew his acceptance of the School Board's job offer.

The school district released a statement Friday night, saying that Mark Davidson's decision to rescind his acceptance of the position in Richland was related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Davidson lives in Canada, which has closed the border to the United States in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus, though it's not known whether that played a role in his decision.

The move puts the district in a difficult situation. Current Superintendent Dr. Rick Schulte planned to retire at the end of the 2018-2019 school year, and the board selected Dr. Nicole MacTavish to take his place. However, the board ended its relationship with Dr. MacTavish, essentially buying out a portion of her contract, and extending Dr. Schulte's contract for another year.

That led to an extensive national search for a new superintendent, and the hiring of Mr. Davidson.

"The Board firmly believes Mr. Davidson was the right hire for the district and knows many in the community were looking forward to him becoming a part of RSD. Board members wish him the best as he leads his current district through these very difficult times."

Statement from the Richland School Board, June 5, 2020

Friday night's statement did not indicate how the board plans to proceed, whether it will make an offer to one of the other finalists that were selected in the previous search, or begin a new search.