Trustees Interview Eight Candidates

Eight semi-finalists for the job of school superintendent will be interviewed today and Thursday by the Coeur d’Alene School District board of trustees.

The candidates come from four states and were chosen from among 36 applicants. Their names aren’t being released in order to protect their privacy, said district spokeswoman Janet Feiler. They may not have alerted their current employers of their interest in the job.

When the board has narrowed the list to two or three finalists, those names will be announced.

Finalists will visit Coeur d’Alene April 21 and 22 to visit with staff members and community groups. Informal forums will be held so the public can meet with each of them, Feiler said.

Trustees will interview each semifinalist for an hour. They’ll be asked the same questions on such topics as budget, instruction, planning and communication. In addition, they will have 30 minutes to answer a question in writing, so board members can judge their written communication and organization.

Seventeen people, representing staff and community members, will observe the interviews. They will share their impressions of each candidate with the board.

The search is being done with the help of a consulting firm. The winning job candidate, to be named by April 28, will replace retiring superintendent Doug Cresswell.

, DataTimes