Two Rivers School, an alternative education venue in the Snoqualmie Valley School District, needs a new principal. Tom Athanases, the school’s current principal and one of its founders, will be moved into a new role starting July 1. As the Alternative Planning Program Coordinator, Athanases will focus on several district-wide alternative education initiatives, from home-school outreach to drop-out retention and recovery.

“It’s the only type of education I’ve ever done,” Athanases said.

He’s taught and managed at alternative, or choice, schools for 33 years, and 24 of those were at Two Rivers. His move into the district office was at least partially prompted by his announcement earlier this year that he planned to retire after next year.

“He’d indicated to me that he was thinking about retiring in another year,” Superintendent Joel Aune said. The district was just starting to implement some of the recommendations from a Puget Sound Education Service District review of Snoqualmie Valley’s intervention programs, including the Two Rivers School. “So I asked if he’d be interested in helping.”

The recommendations, made in January 2010, included several changes that started at Two Rivers for this school year. The school week was expanded to five eight-hour days, from four 10-hour days, and class sizes also increased.

It was a difficult adjustment for both students and staff, and they all have another one coming next year, when a new principal sits in Athanases’ chair.

“He is going to be missed,” said Aune. “The staff I think will miss him, and the students are definitely going to miss him. He’s beloved by students over there.”

The feeling is mutual. Athanases was reluctant to discuss the transition, but said, “I think I can do some good things next year, it’s just going to be different not being around the kids.”

The application deadline for the Two Rivers Principal position is Friday, June 3. Aune hopes to name a new principal by June 17.