Juneau School District Chief Financial Officer Resigns

The Juneau School District’s chief financial officer is resigning just months after she officially assumed the role.

The district announced Friday that Chief Financial Officer Lisa Pierce is leaving to spend more time with her family and new grandchild.

Juneau School Board President Didi Sorensen said the announcement was not a surprise.

“We knew this wasn’t going to be a long-term thing for her, but she made a commitment to help us get through a period of time,” Sorensen said. “So her resignation is not unexpected.”

Pierce was hired on an interim basis last December to replace him after the county’s director of administrative services abruptly resigned. She accepted a permanent position back in May and officially started it in July.

Pierce played a critical role in navigating the county’s financial crisis and consolidation process last winter. She was the one who originally discovered The district faced a multimillion-dollar deficit, some of which was caused by accounting errors.

With her help, the district was able to solve the problem, but it wasn’t easy. This meant closing some schools, merging classes and reducing staff.

Sorensen said she is more concerned about the uncertainty of state education funding than the search for a new chief financial officer ahead of the upcoming budget process.

“Is the light at the end of the tunnel daylight or an oncoming train? We just never know,” she said.

In an email, County Executive Christine Bartlett said the county is “grateful for Ms. Pierce’s tireless work over the past year.”

Job already on the list on the county’s website and will be open within a few weeks. The district hopes to fill the vacancy as soon as possible.

In the meantime, Pierce will continue to serve while the district searches for a new finance director and will help train her replacement.