St. Ig. administrators shuffle jobs over summer

Administration staff at St. Ignatius School District had a busy summer this year, after former schools Superintendent Robert Lewandowski gave notice of his departure, said Jason Sargent, former High School Principal, and new St. Ignatius School District Superintendent.

Lewandowski gave notice of his departure in June of the last year. 

“No one expected it,” Sargent said. 

But on June 30, when Lewandowski left for his new job in Cole Strip Montana, school staff started the search process for his replacement.

Sargent said he was among those who filed an application to fill the job and got very good news just one day after getting married.

“I got married on July 7 and interviewed on July 8,” he said.

Administration and board officials felt Sargent was the right man to run the district.

But Sargent, who was the high school principal, left an open position in his wake.

That is when the administration decided to re-combine the middle and high school principal’s position, something they’d done years ago before they split it, and fill that combined position with Shawn Hendrickson, of Polson.

Hendrickson is a Polson High School and Montana State University graduate who taught social studies for five years before beginning his administration career.

“I am starting my 11th year as an administrator,” Hendrickson said. “I was Assistant Principal at Polson High School for two years and have been a 6-12 principal in Salmon, Idaho for the four years previous to starting in Mission.”

Middle School Principal Dan Durglo was not outed from the district, however.

Simultaneously, Elementary School Principal Tammy Demien left her position to go to Twin Bridges Montana. And Durglo was a natural fit for the elementary school.

Now that all the positions are filled, administrators are getting down to the business of running a top-quality school district.