HAUSER — For the second time since 2007, The Lighthouse School officials are searching for a new director. This time, Oregon’s damp climate is to blame.

The Hauser charter school is about to lose its first-year director, Bruce Steele, due to health reasons. He delivered his resignation in May.

Steele, who is from southern Ohio, said he developed a mold allergy while living in the area and is planning to move to the Southwest. He will be on call for the school until July 31.

“It was a very tough decision because I really like the community,” Steele said. “I just didn’t adapt well to the environment.”

Steele said he hasn’t felt like himself since the rainy season began. He said he had no issues with the Lighthouse or North Bend school boards. Lighthouse falls under the jurisdiction of the North Bend School District

Lighthouse School Board President Lisa LaGesse said board members were sad to see Steele go.

“We’ve really enjoyed him being part of the school,” LaGesse said. “We think he’s created a lot of positive change during the year he’s been here.”

She said the director brought several new programs to the K-8 school, including Lighthouse’s first student council and the Peace Builders Project, which encourages students to interact positively.

“We all really liked him and embraced him. ... We really enjoyed his happy, fun nature,” LaGesse said.

The board president said Lighthouse has started recruiting and has received several application.

“Basically, at this point, we are planning to find someone. If we can’t, we’ll go from there,” LaGesse said.

— Jessica Musicar, Staff Writer