Bishop - Bishop High superintendent graduating to a new chapter

Bishop Joint Union High School District Superintendent Maggie Kingsbury, retired as of July, will continue on through January to oversee the Keith Bright School in Independence. After that, she says, she’s looking forward to more travel with her husband, Bruce. Photo courtesy Inyo County Superintendent of Schools

On the first of July, Maggie Kingsbury stepped down from the position of Bishop Joint Union High School District superintendent as Bishop Union Elementary District Superintendent Barry Simpson will become a joint superintendent of both districts.
While Kingsbury will be staying on until January to oversee the Keith Bright School in Independence and to mentor new administrators, her superintendent days are coming to a close. We sat down for a Q-and-A interview with Kingsbury, who served as superintendent for three years and principal of BUHS for 12 years, to discuss her views on the superintendent position, the possibility of district unification and her plans for the future.

Reporter: How would you describe your position/job as superintendent?
Kingsbury: The superintendent is really a CEO of the school. As superintendent I’m in charge of budgeting, personnel, payroll, facilities, and overseeing the school’s curriculum. There is a tremendous amount of paperwork on a variety of fronts. What really surprised me about coming to this position from the position of principal is how much paperwork there really is. The staff in the district office really works on the paperwork end of things, all the paperwork that has to be sent back to the state. I’ve really enjoyed my three years as superintendent because it is so different from being principal.
Reporter: What do you feel is the most important aspect of this position?
Kingsbury: “I think that being able to see the big picture is very important because conflict resolution is a huge part of the job. You need to be able to guide people and have a lot of patience because there are a lot of things that happen very slowly. The superintendent is really responsible for all of these students and you have to be able to be constantly looking out for what is best for them and keep them as your center.
Reporter: What affect do you think merging the two positions will have, what will be some of the benefits and drawbacks?
Kingsbury: I think that is will be a huge benefit for the districts. The high school has had a major decline of two hundred students, that is a quarter of our enrollment, and I think the time is right for unification. For Barry the workload will probably be challenging, juggling the elementary schools and the high school. But if he can manage the superintendent duties and delegate out the rest, the benefits will be great for the students. To be in a cohesive K-12 district will enhance communication. It will enable us to combine transportation and district meetings will be with all the principals, which will be a benefit. I also think Barry is the perfect person for the job. He is a Bishop Union High School graduate so he understands and really cares about the community. His roots are here and he will be here for a long time.
Reporter: Are you for or against unification, and why?
Kingsbury: Unification would entitle us to additional funding to equalize the salaries of the two districts. However, being entitled to funding and actually getting funding are two different

things. Unification would require equalized salaries between the districts. So if we can get the extra funding to equalize salaries and can work it out with the certificated and classified staff then I think the benefits will far outweigh any drawbacks, and for the students it will be wonderful. I do think that it will take a couple of years to unify the district and that most of the problems will arise and can be dealt with in the beginning years of the process.
Reporter: What do you feel have been your greatest accomplishments as superintendent?
Kingsbury: To answer that I have to include some of my principal years at BUHS. First, I would say that we have really done well with accountability. You need to be accountable to students and parents. It was a very different world in 1994 when I came to Bishop. Back then we weren’t accountable to any state standards and we didn’t have the high school exit exam. We’ve made a lot of adjustments to rise to the state standard and implement the exit exam – I am very proud of that. Second, I would hope I am known as being very fair to students. When I am presented with a problem or conflict I have tried to always look for the best answer for the students. Lastly, since I’ve been superintendent we’ve declined in enrollment by two hundred students. It has been a huge challenge to keep the district working while having to make cuts to accommodate the decline. It has been hard but I think we’ve handled that balancing act very well.
Reporter: What do you feel still needs the most work?
Kingsbury: I was reviewing the budget and we’re going to take a huge hit next year. I think through this crisis we’re going to have to keep our eye on what’s important and not take the easy way out just because it saves money. We need to remember to keep the students first and do what is best for them. So the budget is going to be the major issue.
Reporter: What have you enjoyed the most/what will you miss the most?
Kingsbury: The thing that I enjoy the most is that once a week I take a walk around to the classrooms to watch the students learning and the teachers teaching. I did this at both Palisade Glacier High School and at Bishop Union High School. I love visiting classrooms, we have a great staff, wonderful teachers here and they do such an outstanding job. I love watching the active teaching. Also I’ll miss the ladies in the district office and the front office. I’ve got a great support team and I’m really going to miss them – we’ve just got great people in our schools here.
Reporter: How did you get started in education?
Kingsbury: I started teaching third and fourth grade in 1975 and then I worked my way up to middle school. After that I was promoted to program director in high school and that was how I got my start in high school. I have to say that was the best thing that ever happed to me, as I just love high school kids, elementary kids are great too, but I love high school.
Reporter: What are you looking forward to most about retirement?
Kingsbury: My husband, Bruce, is retired as of this year so we’re going to travel some. Also I’m going to quilt, I haven’t had time to quilt for the last three years, and I’m going to go to the gym every day. Plus we’re just going to enjoy Bishop, spend more time going up into the mountains. But it is January before that happens. In August, I’ll be working for the County Superintendent with the Keith Bright School and I’ll also be mentoring new administrators. I’m very much looking forward to working with up and coming administrators. In Inyo County, I believe we have to concentrate on the people that we have here. What I mean by that is that I’ve seen a lot of people come and go through administrator positions here and I think the idea of growing our own is very exciting.