Prosser school superintendent is stepping down after 5 years
Goodbye, Mustangs. And hello, Cheesemakers.
After five years as Prosser’s top educator, Matthew Ellis is leaving his post to accept a job as the superintendent at Tillamook School District.
His last day is June 30, he told the Tri-City Herald on Wednesday.
Ellis’ first official day at Tillamook is July 1. He will oversee the instruction of about 2,100 students in Northwest Oregon.
“It’s been a fantastic journey,” said Ellis, 42. “We’ve done just some excellent work here in Prosser and I’m very appreciative of the board. I’m proud of the work we’ve done together.”
He said the district made a number of important strides during his tenure, including opening a new high school building, increasing security, navigating the COVID pandemic while protecting students and staff, and increasing graduation rates.
Ellis is a product of Prosser High School. The school board hired him in 2018 as a replacement to Ray Tolcacher after he worked as the Lind-Ritzville Cooperative Schools superintendent from 2016 to 2018.
He moved home to be closer to his parents after they experienced a near-fatal car collision. But the reasons for staying have “dissolved” over the past five years, he said, particularly after his mother’s recent death.
It’s unclear if the Prosser School Board will hire a replacement to Ellis or install an interim superintendent for the upcoming school year. The board was set to meet Thursday to interview consultancy firms to begin the process of finding a new leader.
Until July 1, Ellis said he will straddle the transition of leaving the Prosser administration in a sound state and beginning his role as Tillamook’s new superintendent.
“This is a great region of Washington state and I’ve been privileged to serve the state in a leadership capacity in public education,” he said. “I’m in it for the kids, and Prosser allowed me to do some of that work.”
