The Sitka School Board has given Superintendent Deidre Jenson high marks for her job performance over the past year.
The group met for a special meeting on Wednesday (1-14-26) to discuss Jenson’s work behind closed doors in an executive session.
Board President Phil Burdick said the board uses a rigorous evaluation tool with more than 30 questions covering a range of the superintendent’s duties.
“The evaluation was positive, and the superintendent met or exceeded performance expectations in every single area,” Burdick said in an interview with KCAW on Thursday (1-15-26).
Burdick said during Jenson’s last performance review, the board identified two areas where she could grow– communication with the board and the public. He said at Wednesday’s review the board noted that Jenson had actively improved her practice in those areas.
The executive session lasted over three hours. In that time, Burdick says the board agreed to extend Jenson’s contract for another three years.
“We just continue to appreciate all of the work that Dr. Jenson has done in rebuilding trust with the district, among staff in the public, and building relationships in the community,” Burdick said. “As someone new to the community, we recognize the fact that she is really doing an amazing job in building those relationships, and relationships are at the core of education, and so we’re really pleased with that work.”
Jenson was hired in 2023 as the district’s assistant superintendent under Steve Bradshaw. She stepped into the interim superintendent role later that year when Bradshaw was on medical leave, and was hired full-time last year.
In an email to KCAW, Jenson said she is happy to be continuing her work in the Sitka School District.
Earlier in the month, the school board met behind closed doors to discuss a formal complaint made against the superintendent by a community member regarding the handling of a personnel matter. At Wednesday’s meeting, Burdick noted that the board had finished reviewing the issue, and determined that the complaint was unfounded and the administration did not violate any policies or engage in any inappropriate conduct. The board considered the matter closed.
