McKinleyville’s Sarie Toste — a teacher for generations of Humboldt County children, as well as a school administrator and member of the Northern Humboldt Union High School District — died over the weekend.
“She was just a delight to work with,” Humboldt County Office of Education Superintendent Garry Eagles told the Lost Coast Outpost this afternoon. “Always a smile on her face, always believed that there was a resolution at hand to whatever problem if you worked hard enough to find to find it. She was just a lovely, lovely lady.”
Toste is probably most well known in educational circles for pioneering a program called “Learn to Earn,” which teaches children the basics of financial literacy. Toste started the program while serving as superintendent of Pacific Union School; since then, it has been adapted by schools around the region. In 2007, Rep. Mike Thompson placed a proclamation honoring her efforts into the Congressional Record.
In May, the Humboldt County Office of Education honored Toste with its Lifetime Acheivement Award. Eagles says that he’s thankful that his organization chose that year to recognize her work.
“It’s too late to tell people they’re wonderful after they’re gone,” Eagles said. “And I’m glad we had the opportunity to honor her with her friends and family and colleagues there.”
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