The Puyallup School Board is zeroing in on a replacement for retiring Superintendent Tony Apostle.
Six to eight candidates, chosen from a pool of 16 applicants, will be invited for preliminary interviews this week.
They’ll be announced at Monday’s School Board meeting.
The interviews are set for Wednesday and Thursday. Nearly three dozen community members and district employees have been enlisted to observe and provide feedback.
The interviews are open to the general public. For information on the time and place, go to the district’s website at www.puyallup.k12.wa.us.
Dennis Ray, the Liberty Lake-based consultant who’s coordinating the superintendent search, said his team had “serious conversations” with about 50 potential candidates. In general, he said, the 16 people who completed applications are superintendents or central office administrators from districts around Washington.
More than one is from the Puyallup district; there also are applicants from outside the state, Ray said.
School Board President Greg Heath called it an outstanding pool.
Apostle, who’s been superintendent since 2004, is retiring in June. The School Board wants to hire his replacement by March 30.
Members of the observers panel are charged with providing written feedback during the preliminary interviews. Other community members who attend also can give input, the district said.
As many as three finalists are expected to be picked for the next round of interviews, to be held Feb. 28-29 and March 1.
The district has about 21,300 students and 2,600 employees. It’s the second-largest in Pierce County behind Tacoma and the ninth-largest in the state.
The School Board hired Ray’s firm – Northwest Leadership Associates – in October to help find the district’s next top administrator. The firm helped with the district’s last superintendent search and has coordinated about 160 searches in Washington, Idaho and Oregon, Ray said.
Sara Schilling: 253-552-7058
sara.schilling@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/street
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