The Centralia School District is one step closer to naming a new superintendent, and if all goes as planned, the board of directors will extend a job offer tonight.
The last of three community forums was held Wednesday night as community members and staff gathered in the Centralia Middle School to learn more about finalist Mark Davalos, the current superintendent of St. Helens School District in Oregon.
Davalos is one of three candidates being considered for the position.
Two other community forums were held on Monday and Tuesday, where the other candidates, Deborah Holcomb, executive director of Student Support Services of Highline School District, and Joseph Potts, principal of Kentlake High School, introduced themselves and answered questions from the community.
A fourth finalist, Richard Thompson, accepted a position elsewhere, eliminating himself as an option.
Many of the same faces filled the commons area for all three nights, said Ed Petersen, the communications and public relations coordinator for CSD. On average, 23 people attended each forum, voicing concerns and asking questions of the finalists.
On Wednesday night, participants at the open session inquired about the candidate’s thoughts on Common Core, the type of management style he chooses to utilize, future plans for the district, and how to help homeless children, among other topics.
The forums ended a long day for candidates, who on their respective days met with a board member to tour the district’s buildings from 9 a.m. to noon. After lunch, the candidates met with district office staff and later attended a meeting with the administrative council. Once completed, the finalists spoke with staff and employees of the district, spent an hour with the board members and the 10-person superintendent search committee, attended dinner and wrapped up the day with the community forum before attending an hour-long exit interview with the board.
The process was intensive, but members of the district know the decision is a critical one.
“It’s such an important position because it impacts all the students down to the little guys,” Petersen said.
School Board President Kim Ashmore said the board hopes to make an offer of employment tonight, following a closed executive session, which will begin at 7 p.m. at the district office. The meeting is expected to open to the public at 8 p.m. when a decision will hopefully be announced, he said.
After three long days, the board still has plenty of work to do before it makes its decision.
According to Chris Thomas, a school board member, the board will go through the forms turned in by each group who met with the superintendent finalists to determine who overall is the most suited for the position.
“This is definitely the biggest thing I’ll do as a board member so far,” Thomas said of his four years on the board.
The new superintendent would assume his or her role in July, concluding a search that began in October with two community forums. The sessions allowed the public to voice what qualities they wanted in the district’s new leader.
The position opened after former superintendent Steve Bodnar resigned at the end of the 2013-14 school year.
Interim Superintendent Steve Warren agreed to step in, but only committed to one year, giving the board of directors time to begin its search for his replacement.
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Check www.chronline.com tonight for the district’s announcement, or see Saturday’s print edition.
