Roger Trail New Royal superintendent on the job

Roger Trail is a superintendent for the first time, and he feels right at home in Royal.

by Ted Escobar Sun Tribune Editor
| August 21, 2016 6:00 AM

ROYAL CITY — New Royal School District Superintendent Roger Trail is on the job and, so far, likes what he has encountered.

“Everybody smiles, and they’ve received me with open arms,” he said.

“I like the small town feel,” he added. “But it’s not too small. There seems to be at least one of everything.”

Trail said the location of Royal is good for his own family life. Half of his family lives in Moscow, Idaho. The other half lives in Seattle.

“I’m just really excited to get to meet everybody,” he said.

Trail did not come with a plan to implement new ideas. For now, he is kind of exercising his new-man-in-town plan, which is three-pronged.

“I’m working on developing relationships with district staff and members of the community,” he said. “I’m working on learning the culture of the community, and I’m looking into (personal) growth of individuals.”

Trail was the Human Resources director in the Clarkston School District the last five years. He said that experience has come in handy this summer. There have been significant changes in the administrative staff, and there are numerous new hires among the teachers.

Former Business Manager David Andra is an assistant principal at Redrock Elementary and the district curriculum director. Missy Tomjack is the new business manager.

Rebecca Joslin, the former secretary at Royal Middle School, has become Trail’s administrative assistant. Angie Smith remains in accounts payable.

Trail started his education career at Coos Bay, Ore. as a teacher. He was an assistant principal his last three years there.

Trail was the Clarkston High principal for four years. Then he moved to Human Resources for five years.

When Trail decided he was ready for a superintendency, he considered four opportunities, but he applied for only two and was really hopeful of landing the Royal assignment.

“Royal was attractive to me because of the Hispanic population,” he said.

Trail handles Spanish like a native speaker and is married to a South American woman. He uses his second language every opportunity he gets. He is considering organizing a reception this fall with Hispanic parents so they can get to know him.

“I spoke at the graduation,” he said. “I made my speech in English and Spanish.”

Trail will have an open door policy, and he hopes people with questions or comments will make appointments with him just to be sure he’s available when they are.

The biggest challenge Trail will confront is the rapidly growing school enrollment. It is now at about 1,700 students and growing at about 30 a year.

“I talked to a 2007 graduate, and she told me her class had 60 students. We graduated 107 this year,” Trail said.

Trail said one of the first requests of the school board was that he review the district’s strategic plan. He will join the board in Cle Elum on August 11-12 for a working retreat.

Trail believes he’s well versed in the “nuts and bolts” of being superintendent, but he said: “I don’t think you never know it all.”