HHS principal takes job in Merced

Longtime Healdsburg principal John Curry has accepted a
superintendent job in Merced after 12 years at the helm of the
junior high and high school.
Last June the Healdsburg Unified School District Board of
Trustees opted against renewing Curry’s contract, a decision that
angered a group of parents and sent the principal looking for new
opportunities. His job search ended with the Weaver Union School
District, a three-school, 2,300 student district in need of a new
leader.
“It’s a pretty good fit for my skills,” said Curry. “I’ve spent
most of my career at middle schools, and have success at middle
schools. Weaver Union is a growing district with demographics very
similar to Healdsburg.”
The Curry family has spent more than a decade in Healdsburg.
Curry and his wife Gretchen moved from McKinleyville to Healdsburg
in 1998 when John was offered the Healdsburg Junior High School
principal job. Their children—Jessica, Katie, Christopher and
Melissa—all attended Healdsburg schools, helping the Curry family
establish deep ties to the community.
Now that they’re moving on, numerous families have invited Katie
Curry, 17, to live in Healdsburg to finish her senior year of high
school. “That’s one of the cool things about the community,” said
Curry. “They welcome you in. They adopt you and take care of
you.”
While Curry begins work in Merced in July, the family isn’t
saying goodbye so soon. Curry plans on taking an apartment and
commuting down for the workweek this fall. “I’ll come back on the
weekends, and when we’re ready to move the family we’ll move down,
most likely at the semester break,” he said.
Parents say Curry will be missed.
“He is a tireless advocate for the students,” said Nancy
Madarus, the mother of two boys who went through both the junior
high and high school. “He’s always positive and helping students
and parents make the right choices. I’m sorry to see him go.”
“John gave 12 good years to this community,” said Anne
Friedemann, a parent with two children in the district. “I think
somebody who gives 12 years of dedicated service should be
recognized for that service they provided. I thought he was a
friend and advocate to the students.”
On May 23 a group of 150 parents, educators and community
members crowded into the Tayman Park Golf Club to wish Curry a fond
farewell. Numerous teachers and parents described Curry as a caring
and approachable administrator and told him he would be sorely
missed.
With the departure of Curry, Healdsburg High School will now be
led by principal Chris Vanden Heuvel. Vanden Heuvel is currently
the principal of Cali Calmécac Language Academy, but will resign at
the end of this month to join Healdsburg on July 1.