Coeur d’Alene school board announces finalists for interim superintendent search

The Coeur d’Alene School District board announced two finalists Thursday for the interim superintendent job.

Peter McPherson and Stanley Olson were selected from a pool of five applicants, according to a news release.

McPherson is the superintendent and federal programs director for Challis Joint School District. He has an education specialist degree from Northwest Nazarene University and a Master of Arts in teaching with an emphasis on education administration from Walla Walla University, the release said.

Olson works for Silverback Learning Solutions, a Southern Idaho-based company that develops and distributes education technology nationwide. Before that, Olson was superintendent for the Boise School District and the Natrona County School District in Wyoming.

The school board will interview the finalists June 13 and then will make a hiring decision, the release said.

The interim superintendent will be hired on a one-year contract and will not be allowed to apply for the position of superintendent. The board will conduct a nationwide search for a full-time superintendent next year.

Matt Handelman, the former superintendent, resigned in late April after accepting a job with Evergreen Public Schools in Western Washington.