The Vashon Island School District has announced three key staffing changes in the district.

Thomas Elliott

The first is the sudden departure of Thomas Elliott, who for the past six years has served as the director of the district’s LINKS programs, which offer alternative learning programs for homeschooled and other students not attending the district schools.

In his letter to families and students, Elliot wrote that only last week, an opportunity had opened for him to return to teaching math at another school.

“Teaching makes my heart sing, and I miss it,” he said, adding that he was sad to leave the learning community of LINKS.

Superintendent Slade McSheehy praised Elliot, saying he had shown “tireless care and unparalleled commitment to fostering a nurturing environment [which has] not only transformed the lives of countless students but also inspired his colleagues.”

The district, he said, would work closely with LINKS staff and Vashon High School administrators to determine a transition plan for the program’s leadership. Vashon High School principal John Erickson also serves as principal for the LINKS programs.

Anders Blomgren

Anders Blomgren, a longtime teacher and coach in the school district, has been named as the district’s new athletic director, replacing Andy Sears, who resigned from the post last year and has now moved off the island with his family.

Superintendent Slade McSheehy said Blomgren was hired after a lengthy search.

“The process made it clear that [Blomgren’s] skill set, disposition and background make him the best fit for the significant demands of the position,” McSheehy said, in an announcement made by the district on Aug. 20.

Blomgren grew up on Vashon and has been an educator in the school district for 23 years, teaching subjects including English, creative writing, weight training, PE, healthy living, and more. He’s also supported many athletic programs at McMurray Middle School and Vashon High School throughout the years.

Along with his brother, Per Lars Blomgren, Anders is best known for his work in building a highly respected and successful wrestling program on Vashon over the years.

In a 2019 Beachcomber article, detailing the brothers’ long list of accomplishments in coaching and mentoring youth, parents of Vashon High School wrestlers gave high praise to both Anders and Per Lars.

“It is hard to overstate what the Blomgren family has done for the Vashon wrestling community,” Cheryl Pruett, owner of Pandora’s Box, whose twin sons Chester and Clyde both wrestled with the brothers, said. “They have instilled a love of the sport, but more importantly than that, they have taught at least 1,000 kids what a strong work ethic looks like, how to be humble and gracious, how to be a good teammate and what true sportsmanship really looks like.”

Anders’ coaching experience, McSheehy said, began as a college student coaching wrestling at Simon Fraser University and Pacific Lutheran University.

Nels Langbauer

Nels Langbauer, an islander, will join the district staff in a new, one-year role, as Dean of Students and Administrator Intern.

The position, said McSheehy, is not a paid or permanent position. Rather, Langbauer will serve the district as he completes over 1,360 hours of service as he fulfills his requirements to graduate from the UW Danforth Educational Leadership Program.

Langbauer, a current Vashon resident whose family has long resided on Vashon, comes to his new role from Hillsboro High School in Oregon, where he was a dean of students for two years and a special education teacher for three years. As a classroom teacher, he taught special education, alternative education, and Spanish to all age levels in Central California before working in Oregon.

Prior to starting his teaching career, Langbauer was an outdoor guide and instructor in California and throughout Latin America. His studies and work during this time allowed him to become trilingual in Spanish, Portuguese, and English. He is now very happy to live on Vashon full-time, said McSheehy, and thrilled to be serving the Vashon Island School District in his internship.

Classes start at district schools on Aug. 30.

Correction:In the print edition of The Beachcomber and an earlier online edition of this article, the surname of Nels Langbauer was twice misspelled. We strive for accuracy and regret the error.