This is the last year Assistant Principal Ron Franklin will be working at W. F. West. Franklin will be replacing Dan Stuard as the Principal of Green Hill High School this next year. "The timing seems right now. I've finished all of my [Superintendent] classes, the kids [Jay, Beverly, and Anne Franklin] have graduated and it seems like a good time for a change," said Franklin.

Stuard will be taking on the position of Assistant Superintendent of the Chehalis School District effective June 1. All of these changes will result in the need to fill Franklin's position. Franklin said, "They've already advertised for my position and they're going to be interviewing for my position I think on May 6."

During this transition period, Franklin will be working with Stuard who was an Assistant Principal at W.F. West for six years, working the last five years alongside Franklin. He is now the Principal of Green Hill High School and has been there for the past three years.

Franklin has been an Assistant Principal at W.F. West for eight years, working these last three years in Corrections Education at the Lewis County Detention Center. He said, "That experience [at the LCDC] helped. Dan [Stuard] and I are good friends and he's shared with me a lot of knowledge about corrections education and so I felt confident taking on this position. The challenges are certainly there and the opportunity for me to grow is there."

W.F. West teacher Sue Ardington said, "I'll miss him and his contributions to our school community but I think it's a natural progression for a goal oriented individual who wants to make a difference in education."

One of the duties of an Assistant Principal is advising those involved in the student government program [ASB]. The administrator who will be taking over the advising position for our ASB program still hasn't been decided. Franklin is the current advisor for the ASB.

Smith said, "I like what he did with ASB. He got the students more involved. He had ASB leadership meetings at his house in the fall and he gave the students more responsibility."

Franklin is optimistic about the new assistant principal and future of W.F. West. He said, "This would be a good job for them as it's been a good job for me."