Coupeville School District Board of Directors held an emergency meeting last Friday after current interim Superintendent Karen Koschak resigned.

Koschak resigned via email last Thursday citing a family medical situation.

Her official resignation date will be Thursday, Feb. 28, but she will be using accrued leave “to attend to family medical demands in the immediate future.”

“If the medical situation permits, I would plan to return for some time in February to guide the curriculum adoption process, however, at this point in time I cannot determine whether that will be possible,” Koschak wrote.

She was scheduled to hold the superintendent position through the end of the year while the district searched for a new chief.

During the board’s meeting Friday, it accepted the resignation and appointed Gerald W. Jenkins as the new interim.

Jenkins is the superintendent for Northwest Educational Service District 189, which covers school districts in five counties.

Jenkins will be the district’s superintendent of record to ensure business carries on.

During the meeting, Jenkins noted he would not be providing the same level of service. He recommended not continuing this plan through June.

“You have a superintendent of record, not a superintendent of office,” he said.

In the interim, Jenkins said he’s trying to schedule one day a week to be in Coupeville.

He will be attending the regular board meeting Monday, Feb. 25.

School Board President Kathleen Anderson said Jenkins as superintendent is a temporary fix.

“Sometimes unexpected things happen and you do the best you can,” she said. “We’ll move on day-to-day and keep our goals in site.”

The board will continue its search for a new superintendent and released the three standing candidates this week.

Anderson said the board will select the best person for the job.

If the person can start early, great, but it won’t be a condition for employment, she said.