At its Feb. 24 meeting, the Battle Ground Public Schools board of directors voted to appoint Shelly Whitten to be the next superintendent of the district. Whitten, the district’s current deputy superintendent, will begin her new role on July 1, 2025. She will replace current Superintendent Denny Waters, who is retiring at the end of the 2024-25 school year.
About Whitten
A Battle Ground alum, Whitten also has more than three decades of experience as an educator. Her tenure in the district includes working as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, director of instructional leadership, director of human resources and assistant superintendent of human resources. She became the deputy superintendent in 2020 and has worked closely with Waters to lead the district’s pandemic recovery efforts, oversee the teaching and learning and human resources departments, develop the strategic plan, establish committees that tap into the perspectives of different stakeholders and guide decision-making about the district’s facilities.
She has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, master’s degree in education administration and superintendent certification from Washington State University.
”It is an honor to serve the community I grew up in and love,” said Whitten, “Having experienced firsthand the challenges and successes that have shaped our district, I am more committed than ever to ensuring that every student connects to a successful future. You can expect my unwavering commitment to our students, honesty in every interaction and a relentless pursuit of excellence as we navigate our unique challenges together. There's no place I'd rather invest my passion and energy.”