Leadership changes at Waitsburg, Prescott schools

WALLA WALLA COUNTY - The Waitsburg and Prescott School Districts are starting the 2025-26 school year with changes in leadership. Monty Sabin has stepped into the roles of superintendent and elementary school principal at the Waitsburg School District. Prescott's K-12 principal, Jeff Foertsch, was selected by the school board to replace Justin Bradford as superintendent.

Sabin, a Washington native, brings 26 years of administrative experience to the district, last serving as superintendent for the Moses Lake School District. He replaces David Wood, who retired in August 2024.

Courtesy photo

Waitsburg Superintendent Monty Sabin

He has worked in both large and small districts, ranging from schools with 125 students to systems with over 15,000 students. While he likes working in districts of all sizes, he said he was drawn to the small farming community of Waitsburg and its school district.

"The cool thing in a smaller district like Waitsburg is that you can see issues, get a group together, and quickly make changes," said Sabin. "

He said everyone in a smaller school, including custodians, teachers, and staff, have a stronger voice. It makes it easier to identify problems and to get buy-in on solutions.

Sabin was curious and excited for his first day with elementary school teachers and staff. He will have an hour with just the team. Impressed by all the time Waitsburg teachers put in over the summer preparing their classrooms, he said, "You can tell how much they care about kids."

Jeff Foertsch takes over as Prescott's superintendent at a time when the school district is facing economic challenges. The school board selected Foertsh, the K-12 principal, to assume the additional role of superintendent. Although Foertsch has not served as a superintendent, he has 25 years of experience in teaching, coaching, and administration within the district.

In June, the district received a letter from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction placing it under enhanced financial monitoring as recommended by the Financial Oversight Committee. The new superintendent stated that he works well with the OSPI special administrator, the district school board, and FOC as they collaborate to keep the district solvent.

Moves to stabilize the district's economic situation included combining the superintendent and principal roles into one Full-Time Equivalent position. Foertsch said two teachers will split time between the classroom and assisting his office as Teachers on Special Assignment (TOSA).

In addition, the board reduced staff by not replacing two teachers who retired last year or rehiring at least three paraprofessionals for this year.

Foertsch is moving forward in his new role by exploring in-house and community solutions to some of the district's challenges. To support his staff's ongoing professional development, he plans to leverage the knowledge and experience already present within the school. The district will also reach out for community volunteers to fill in, including bus greeters, until the budget can fund more paraprofessionals.

Preparing for the new school year, Foertsch wants to move forward, address the challenges, and celebrate Prescott Tiger Pride.