Interim principal appointed at Burrell's Stewart; middle school principals promoted

A Burrell School District administrator will stand in as Stewart Elementary’s principal in what could be the final year of the school.

Autumn Turk, Burrell’s director of curriculum and development, was appointed interim principal at Stewart for the 2024-25 school year, school directors voted Tuesday.

“She’ll do both jobs for a year,” said Superintendent Shannon Wagner.

Turk, who will take on the role effective July 1, will receive a $2,500 monthly stipend in addition to her $113,000 annual salary. Having Turk work two jobs will save the district about $50,000, Wagner said.

Turk wasn’t available for comment.

Turk might be the last principal in the 94-year-old school’s history.

Burrell will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Stewart to take comments on the potential closure of the building. Administrators have proposed the closure because of decreased enrollment and high costs to repair the building.

The district will open the building at 4 p.m. Tuesday for the public to walk through before the hearing.

Stewart’s former principal, Brian Ferra, was appointed as the district’s director of athletics and building operations in May. That move came as the outgoing athletic director took another job outside Burrell, and the district furloughed one employee. It saves the district about $140,000.

Directors also promoted two administrators at Charles A. Huston Middle School. Travis Welch will remain principal at Huston with a salary increase to $103,000 per year. Krista Pisano will move from dean of students to Huston’s assistant principal being paid $90,000 per year.