Ephrata principal comes full circle

EPHRATA - Jill Palmquist said she made a deal with her dad Ken Palmquist a few years ago, agreeing to wrap up her education career by her mid-50s. They jokingly agreed, shook hands on it and everything. And when he died a month later, Palmquist said it became important to honor that deal, in part as a way to honor him.

But as the time approached she started thinking about how she wanted her 30-year career to end, she said. And the end led her back to her hometown.

Palmquist, 54, will retire from her job as Ephrata Middle School principal at the end of the current school year. It was a ending that she didn't see coming, back when she became a teacher, she said.

Palmquist attended school all 12 years in Ephrata, and watching the teachers at Ephrata Middle School inspired her to work for a career in education, she said. She was a state track champion, played basketball - and spent her share of time in the hall and the principal's office, she said.

When she graduated from high school, she said couldn't imagine any scenario where she came back home to teach, or finish her career there. "No. Never," she said.

So she worked in western Washington and Alaska, then became a middle school teacher in Fife. She worked in Fife for 22 years as a teacher and middle school assistant principal. That might have been the end of the story, except for that deal with her dad.

She decided she wanted to end where she began, she said, back in Eastern Washington - and maybe even in Ephrata, if possible. Her former teachers joked it would be appropriate for her to end up in the principal's office because she spent so much time there in school, she said.

Palmquist said she felt some uncertainty when she applied for the job, thinking what her reaction might be if her hometown school didn't call for an interview. But they did, and when the time came for a decision Palmquist was the top candidate.

At every step of the way, she said, she had instructors and supervisors who taught her what she needed to know to take the next step. In Fife, "I worked under four different principals. So I had a lot of great mentoring," she said.

From the beginning the staff at Ephrata made an impression on her, she said. "I feel humbled working with such an amazing staff," she said. "There are some fabulous, world-class teachers here," she said.

The staff makes decisions with the best interest of the students in mind, she said. The teacher and aides were open to change, willing to try new ideas and hold kids to high standards, she said.

And the town is supportive of its kids, and each other, she said. "This Ephrata community - when somebody is in need, they just don't throw in a few bucks," she said. Ephrata residents rally to help when needed, she said.

Palmquist will honor the deal with her dad, and the next step isn't entirely clear. The only for sure thing is a little travel, she said. "I'm going on to the next chapter."