Retired teacher fills vacancy on Battle Ground school board

Battle Ground Public Schools has a full school board with the appointment of retired teacher Mark Watrin to the vacant District 4 director position.

Watrin, who spent 40 years in education, replaces Mavis Nickels. Nickels announced her resignation last month after eight years on the school board. Watrin will be sworn in Monday, according to a district news release.

He retired last year from the 13,000-student school district, where he was both a science teacher, as well as a teacher on special assignment, leading professional development for other science teachers. He helped launch the Battle Ground school district’s Center for Agriculture, Science and Environmental Education, a half-day high school program for district students.

Watrin also worked in the Vancouver and Camas school districts, as well as at Educational Service District 112 and Washington State University. He volunteers at the school district and with the University of Washington’s Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, and sits on the Washington Science Teachers Association.

Watrin’s two grown children attended Battle Ground schools, and his wife, Donna, is also a retired teacher from the district.

“We have a chemistry teacher saying, ‘If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the precipitate.’ I want to be part of the solution,” Watrin said of his desire to serve on the board in a district news release.

The school district earlier this month chose Rob Henrikson to fill the District 2 director position left vacant after Ken Root’s resignation in February. Root also sat on the school board for eight years.

Both new members will sit on the board through November. The position will be up for election for a full four-year term at that time.