The North Kitsap school board has appointed Barbara Waggoner to fill the District 5 vacancy.

Waggoner will be sworn in at the board’s next Oct. 13 meeting. She replaces Cindy Webster-Martinson, who resigned Sept.1 to focus more time on her family and her husband’s health. Wagonner’s term ends in December 2023. The school board also interviewed Lauren Gray and Stacy Mills.

After graduating from Eastern Washington University in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in education, Wagoner moved to North Kitsap to begin her career as a teacher, a district news release says. She became a certified parent coach through Seattle Pacific University in 2010. Her coaching skills were utilized as an elementary school principal from 2013-17.

She also has participated in family businesses with her husband of 36 years, Kurt Waggoner. They have two sons.

Waggoner shared that providing both social-emotional and academic support to students post-pandemic, along with helping students and families re-engage with their schools, is a top priority. She also noted that with the increasing population in North Kitsap, ensuring that there are safe, adequate schools that meet the needs of students and staff will be very important in coming years.