This school year, Ray Wilson is joining the staff of Snoqualmie Middle School as assistant principal. Wilson has been the assistant principal at Chief Kanim Middle School for several years, and taught and coached at Mount Si High School. He will lead the school along with first-year Principal Vernie Newell, who took over SMS’s top spot when Ruth Moen transfered to head the new Twin Falls Middle School.

According to the school district, several factors were considered in the decision around this move:

Lower enrollment is anticipated for the 2008-09 school year at both SMS and CKMS, due to opening Twin Falls. Accordingly, the smaller student populations call for an adjustment in the amount of administrative leadership support at both SMS and CKMS.

CKMS will have additional administrative support next year. Heather Yen will serve as an administrative intern half-time, while continuing to teach seventh-grade special education half-time.

Some CKMS students from last year will attend SMS this year due to boundary changes. Wilson’s presence at the school will help these students and their parents with the transition to a new school.

The change will also yield a cost savings. Not only does this move address the reduced enrollment needs, but it will help to keep costs down at a time when the school district is facing a budget shortage that will affect the 2009-10 school year.

Middle school enrollment projections for 2008-09, as of early August, were 365 at CKMS, 344 at SMS, and 574 at TFMS.