The Coupeville School Board extended the contract of Superintendent Jim Shank Monday night while offering praise for the leadership he provided during a school year in which he juggled three roles.

Shank’s new superintendent salary is $133,105, an increase of $8,575 from his base salary last year. Part of that boost reflects a 1.8 percent cost-of-living increase the Legislature approved for teachers, administrators and classified staff for the 2016-17 school year.

The Coupeville school board also approved a supplemental contract of $30,000 to Shank for his role as the school district’s director of special education.

He no longer will carry the responsibilities of high school/middle school principal, which he absorbed this past school year. Duane Baumann was promoted to that role. With the contract rollover, Shank maintains a three-year agreement with the school district.

He’s been superintendent of Coupeville schools since July 1, 2013.

“You have done above-and-beyond work this past year as both principal and superintendent and everything has flowed beautifully,” school board president Kathleen Anderson told Shank Monday night. “You make the ship run very smoothly with the help of the two ladies sitting beside you.”

Anderson was referring to Denise Peet, business manager, and Julie Hunt, administrative assistant, with the school district. Shank echoed those sentiments about his support staff as well as the work from everyone in the school district.

“It’s wonderful to work here in the Coupeville School District,” he said.

The 2015-16 school year was a busy one in Coupeville, making Shank’s multiple hats all the more challenging to wear.

Coupeville schools received unexpected surge in enrollment last fall and anticipate holding steady if not continuing that upward trend this school year in part to the growing military population at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.

Last fall, the high school implemented a new, alternating five-by-five class schedule to give students more elective course offerings, the elementary school started full-day kindergarten and new special education and online learning programs began.

Anderson said Shank is very in tune to student and teachers’ needs.

“He walks the talk,” she said. “It’s just words if we say it. He has to do it. I think that’s a real crucial part of his leadership style. He definitely leads by consensus and cooperation … and not all leaders are that way. That’s what makes it work.”

Shank will adjust his focus this school year while Baumann transitions to middle school/high school principal and Melissa Rohr comes in to take on assistant principal responsibilities.

Part of Shank will miss that part of the building, but won’t be far away.

“It’s been truly enjoyable for me to be with the teachers and the kids at the school,” Shank said. “It was very, very fun to be a part of the Class of 2016 and get to know all of them and work with them. And I will miss that because I won’t be over there as much as I was this year obviously.”