The Juneau School District’s chief financial officer is resigning. That means nearly everyone in the district’s top leadership team will be new to their role this school year.
Nicole Herbert has worked for the district since March 2025 and was responsible for overseeing the district’s budget. She said in an email to KTOO she is leaving to “pursue a new professional opportunity.”
The position has had a lot of turnover in recent years – Herbert is the district’s third finance officer since 2023. Her predecessor, Lisa Pearce, worked for the district for just over a year and found accounting errors that contributed to a nearly $10 million deficit and led to the 2024 closure and consolidation of schools.
Herbert said it’s been a “privilege” to work for the district.
“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together, particularly the work to strengthen and improve processes that will help streamline district operations moving forward, especially around the budget process,” she said.
Herbert will be the sixth person in a top-level position to leave the district ahead of the school year. The director of operations is the only position in the superintendent’s cabinet that has not turned over this year. Kristy Germain has worked as the operations director since 2024.
In an email, Superintendent Shawn Arnold confirmed her resignation and noted her contributions to the district in streamlining its financial systems.
“While we are sad to see her go, she is leaving our fiscal framework in a very strong position as she and her family transition back to Fairbanks,” he said.
Herbert’s last day with the district is August 5. As of Wednesday, the district posted the chief financial officer position on its job listings.
