Granger stays in Blaine after interviewing for Ellensburg superintendent position

Blaine school district superintendent Christopher Granger was not selected as superintendent at Ellensburg school district after he was named one of three finalists for the position. Ellensburg hired its interim superintendent, Troy Tornow, for the vacant position.

Granger visited the school district on February 12 for in-person interviews.

The Blaine superintendent told The Northern Light that while he’s happy to be working in the Blaine community, the position in central Washington would be a good opportunity for his family.

“Those opportunities are presented at times and I felt like it was one that was worth pursuing,” Granger said. “I’m happy to be here, but it was an opportunity that had some interest from my family and I, so we decided to pursue that.”

Granger was hired as superintendent of the Blaine school district in the summer of 2019, after a stint as assistant superintendent at Bisbee Unified School District in Bisbee, Arizona. Granger has received three contract extensions from the school board since 2020, and his contract goes through the 2025-26 school year. According to Washington state fiscal records, Granger earned a $246,000 salary in 2022-23.

The Ellensburg school district boasts a higher enrollment count at 3,366 students compared to 2,070 enrolled in Blaine, according to the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). Public records stated that Ellensburg’s former superintendent Jinger Haberer earned a $170,965 base salary in 2022-23.

Granger said he has not applied for any other superintendent positions other than the job in Ellensburg.