The Alberni Valley School District will be moving in a new direction next year without its superintendent. Cam Pinkerton announced his retirement last Friday, effective June 30.
Pinkerton will join School District 61 (Greater Victoria) as associate superintendent for next season.
“It’s my cycle of personal growth,” he said.
The past two years have been challenging, with the district facing closures, he said. And it’s time for him to move on.
“For two years in a row I’ve made suggestions to the board for moving forward and they haven’t taken them,” he said.
“Our budget will be balance this year but at the cost of a surplus,” he said. The next council, which will be voted on in November’s municipal election, will have to contend with the aftereffects.
In his 14-year tenure with SD70, Pinkerton served as principal of Bamfield Community School, director of First Nations and Information Technology and for the past seven years as superintendent.
“I’ve really enjoyed working with this board and there are a lot of things we’ve accomplished together. Perhaps a fresh set of eyes can look at (the district) with a new board.”
“The district is grateful for Mr. Pinkerton’s years of service to the students of SD70,” board chair Larry Ransom said via press release. “We wish him the best as he assumes his new responsibilities with the Greater Victoria School Board.”
Trustees will meet shortly to discuss options in filling the vacancy created by Pinkerton’s impending departure, Ransom noted.
Pinkerton will join SD61 as of July 1. He says he’s looking forward to the move. “The district team is a great team to work with by the looks of it. Some of our former employees are working down there that I have a lot of respect for,” he added.
Although he is going to a larger city than Port Alberni, Pinkerton said it’s not as large as Toronto, where he came from before Port Alberni.
“It’s a size I’m used to as well,” he said.
editor@albernivalleynews.com
Twitter.com/AlberniNews