LPOSD making progress in superintendent search

SANDPOINT — The Lake Pend Oreille School Board is making good progress in its effort to find a new superintendent.

After current superintendent Dick Cvitanich won a position last month as the Olympia School District superintendent in the Puget Sound region of Washington State, board members immediately mobilized the process of finding a replacement.

After a school board meeting at the end of March, the board agreed to use Northwest Leadership Associates in their search for a replacement. The firm’s president and owner Dennis Ray is working with the district to find a replacement that will mesh well with the district’s goals and distinct situation.

“I think we’re all encouraged by the progress,” board chair Vickie Pfeifer said. “Everything we’re hearing from Dennis indicates there’s a lot of interest out there already.”

 The board has put together the job listing and posted it online. According to the text, members are looking for an individual with excellent verbal and written communication skills, the ability to motivate students, staff and the community, extensive educational administration experience and competency in interest-based bargaining. Each candidate must qualify for or possess an Idaho superintendent’s license. Finally, the board is looking for someone with honesty, integrity and a sense of humor.

The future superintendent will need to manage 3,662 students across 11 schools in a large geographic area on a $31 million budget. In addition, the board identified relationship-building with the community, aligning the district curriculum with state standards and maintaining the high moral among local educators as primary goals. The new superintendent will also oversee the implementation of initiatives introduced in the state’s Students Come First education reform package passed by the legislature last year, including an increased focus on technology in the class room and changes to teacher administration.

Even at this early stage of the search, it appears several candidates are up for the challenge.

“Our search consultant sent (the posting) out to his contact list, and he said he’s already received several replies,” Pfeifer said.

The next big date for the board will be April 19, when they meet with Ray for an update on the search process. Members will also start planning their approach to the interviewing process when narrowing down candidates. The deadline to apply for the superintendent position is April 27. Pfeifer said the board hopes to have a candidate selected by late May.