New administrators in Orland

Several Orland schools have new principals as the 2008-2009 school-year began Monday.

Orland High School has a change in command with the retirement of Dan Raner in  June.

Jeff Scheele takes the helm after serving as vice principal for three years.

The high school also has a new assistant principal with the arrival of Jason Bramson from Corning’s Maywood High School.

Mill Street School also has another principal, Annette Thole, who comes to the K-2 campus from Southern California.

“She has a lot of experience,” Orland Unified School District Superintendent Chris von Kleist said. “She was a principal for 10 years in the Eitiwanda School District in San Bernardino County. It has 14 to 19 schools and she was one of its better principals.”

Von Kleist added Thole’s family decided to move to Northern California and OUSD is lucky to get her.

C,K. Price Middle School lost Principal John Bohannon who took another job at  Chico Junior High School about six blocks from his home, von Kleist said. In the meantime, Assistant Principal Tim Ryan is working as the senior administrator at the school  after serving as AP for a year.

“He is still the AP and is doing a terrific job,” von Kleist said. “He is a very solid administrator and an asset to the district which is why we want to protect him (by not moving him up too soon).”

A final decision on who to fill the principal’s post at C.K. Price has not been made, he said. Dan LaBar, an alternative education teacher, is assisting Ryan with discipline issues at this time.

At Fairview Elementary School, Brian Sappenfield is in charge as principal after the retirement of Linda Porter last year.

Sappenfield comes to Orland from the Oroville City Elementary School District where his former school, Bird Street School, was closed due to declining enrollment, von Kleist said.

OCESD laid Sappenfield off, but is considering re-opening Bird Street School or reconfiguring its campuses, von Kleist said, and they want him back.

However, he told them he is happy to stay here in Orland, he said.

In the OUSD office, Sylvia Gonzales is the new bilingual student data coordinator who is fluent in Spanish, von Kleist said.

She assists with Spanish-speaking parents and guardians which is a big help, he said.

Armand Brett remains in charge of OUSD’s alternative education programs, but he also is serving as associate district superintendent following the retirement of Marsha Waino.