A top Puyallup school administrator is in the running to become her district’s next superintendent.
The Puyallup School Board on Monday night agreed to invite seven candidates – including Deputy Superintendent Debra Aungst – for preliminary interviews this week.
The other six candidates are from districts around Washington, including Federal Way and Auburn.
They are:
* Marc F. Brouillet, director of human resources and student services for Yelm Community Schools.
* Carl Bruner, superintendent of the Mount Vernon School District.
* Joshua J. Garcia, an assistant superintendent for Federal Way Public Schools.
* Lester “Flip” Herndon Jr., superintendent of the Bremerton School District and a former assistant superintendent for Tacoma Public Schools.
* Michael V. Newman, deputy superintendent of business and operations for the Auburn School District.
* Timothy S. Yeomans, superintendent of the Meridian School District in Bellingham.
The Puyallup School Board picked the seven candidates from a pool of 16 applicants. Board President Greg Heath said the seven have strong resumes and references.
“We’re excited to get to know them a little better,” he said after Monday’s meeting. “We’ve got a great slate of questions and a good process.”
The preliminary interviews are set for Wednesday and Thursday. Board members will fire off questions, and a panel of nearly three-dozen community members and district employees will observe and provide written feedback. The general public also can attend the interviews, and will be given forms to provide their thoughts, the district said.
Dennis Ray, the Liberty Lake-based consultant who’s leading the superintendent search, said Monday’s selection doesn’t preclude the board from extending invitations to more candidates for additional preliminary interviews.
The board eventually will narrow the field, likely to three finalists. They’ll be interviewed again Feb. 28, 29 and March 1.
The school board hopes to hire a new superintendent by March 30. The person selected will replace retiring Superintendent Tony Apostle, who has been the district’s top administrator since 2004.
The Puyallup district is the second-largest in Pierce County and the ninth-largest in the state, with about 21,300 students and 2,600 employees.
The School Board last fall hired Ray’s firm – Northwest Leadership Associates – to lead the search for Apostle’s successor.
Ray told The News Tribune earlier this month that his team had serious conversations with about 50 potential candidates. A total of 16 people submitted application packages, which included resumes and at least five letters of recommendation.
Ray described the 16 applicants as superintendents or central office administrators, largely from districts in Washington. More than one
Puyallup district employee submitted an application, Ray said, although he wouldn’t specify how many.
There also were some out-of-state applicants.
Sara Schilling: 253-552-7058
sara.schilling@thenewstribune.com
INTERVIEWS
All sessions are open to the public.
WHEN: 4-9 p.m. Wednesday; 3:15-4:30 p.m. Thursday; 7:30-9:30 p.m. Thursday.
WHERE: Best Western Park Plaza Hotel, 620 South Hill Park Drive, Puyallup.
MORE ONLINE: www.puyallup.k12.wa.us.
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