CHIMACUM — Three superintendent finalists are visiting Chimacum School District this week for tours, follow-up interviews and to meet with the public.
Board members are hoping to make an offer and hire one of the finalists by the end of this week.
Chimacum School District board interviewed six candidates Saturday, and pared the list to three fianlists after meeting in closed executive session. The finalists are:
• Mike Johnson, director of teaching and learning, special programs and human resources at South Whidbey School District.
• Craig Downs, Woodland Public Schools assistant superintendent.
• Tom Churchill, Hood Canal School District superintendent.
One candidate was presented to staff and others Tuesday. Others will go through the same process today and Thursday.
Community members are invited to meet the candidate each day at 5 p.m. in the high school library.
The new superintendent will succeed Mike Blair, who is retiring in June after seven years at the helm of the district that serves about 1,130 students.
26 applicants
The Chimacum School Board met last Wednesday night and narrowed the field from 12 to six candidates. Originally, there were 26 applicants.
“We are very excited about the high level of candidates we’ve received from all the 26,” said Kevin Miller, who has been a board member since 2002.
“We’re pleasantly surprised,” he said.
“I think we’re going to have [a superintendent] by the end of the week.”
The schedule for each finalist is a campus tour from 10 a.m. to noon, lunch with the district staff at noon., and meetings with administrators at 1 p.m., with secondary staff at 2:30 p.m. and with elementary school staff at 3:30 p.m.
The school board will conduct a final interview in closed executive session at 6 p.m. at Nemos Restaurant at the Inn at Port Hadlock.
The board may schedule a special board meeting after the final interview Thursday or Friday, but that has not been decided.
The district with a $11.5 million annual budget has 68 certificated staff and 79 classified staff.
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Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.