Interim school district head named

School District 57 has announced a temporary placeholder for its superintendent position.

Effective immediately, Sharon Cairns is the interim superintendent of schools.

Cairns's appointment comes following last week's announcement that Brian Pepper was stepping down after 10 years on the job.

"Ms. Cairns has a long history of service to School District No. 57 (Prince George) and we are pleased that she will continue that service as our interim superintendent for the next few months," board of education chair Tony Cable said, in a press release. 

Cairns had a three-decade career as a teacher, vice-principal, principal (Kelly and Prince George secondary schools) and assistant superintendent before retiring about four years ago, Cable said in an interview.

Since leaving the school district, Cairns also worked as the chief election officer for last year's board of trustees contest.

In selecting the interim superintendent, Cable said the board needed someone like Cairns, who he called "a very experienced administrator," to come in right away. 

"Her learning curve was very short," he said.

Though Pepper's resignation is effective Dec. 31, he isn't in the office as he's taking accumulated vacation time, Cable said, so Cairns was needed right away to sign off on paperwork for the end of the school year.

The board will begin the search for a permanent superintendent in January. What that search is going to look like has yet to be cemented, Cable said. 

"We're going to really have a wide search, starting from in-district people, to province-wide, to a little bit further afield," Cable said.