Superintendent finalists named

The Spokane Public Schools board of directors selected two finalists Monday for the superintendent position.

In a special meeting the board chose current Spokane schools Interim Superintendent Nancy Stowell, and Darlene Schottle, the superintendent for Kalispell (Mont.) Public Schools for final interviews to be conducted next week.

“Both of them have the experience and the qualifications,” desired by school district staff and the board, said director Sue Chapin.

Stowell and Schottle were unanimously selected from a group of six candidates, all of whom were interviewed by the five-member board in executive sessions over the weekend. The names of the six candidates were not made public. Each individual was guaranteed confidentiality by the search firm hired to perform a national search.

The Illinois-based search firm, Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates, selected the six candidates from a pool of 15 applicants, said board member Christie Querna.

“We had people from all over the country,” Querna said.

Board members said initially three candidates were favorites, but one, who was not identified, unexpectedly dropped out.

Stowell, formerly the associate superintendent for teaching and learning for Spokane, has held the position since last year. She replaced Brian Benzel, who retired.

Schottle, who previously worked in Reno, Nev., has been the superintendent for the 5,200-student Kalispell district for five years, board members said.

The board will schedule full-day interviews with the two finalists for next week, including forums with the candidates and the community. A final selection is expected by the end of March.

While no salary requirements have been set, Stowell’s current base salary is $159,500.