Superintendent search down to three candidates
The field for Bigfork's next school superintendent has narrowed to three candidates who will be visiting the community over the course of the next few weeks.
The school board, which is conducting the search with the help of David Bruno with the executive search service DHR International, received more than a dozen applications for the position and chose two in-state and one out-of-state candidates to bring in for interviews. DHR International screened applications before sending them on to the board. Another out-of-state candidate was also chosen, but has since withdrawn.
The two Montana candidates are scheduled to visit Bigfork on Wednesday, March 24.
Harry Cheff is the first candidate scheduled for an interview. Cheff is currently the superintendent of Colstrip Public Schools. He has been in the field for 26 years, all in Colstrip. He was recently a top candidate for the open superintendent position in Belgrade, which recently went to another applicant in a split board vote, according to the Belgrade News.
The second candidate is George Linthicum, current superintendent of Target Range School in the Missoula area. He has served as a superintendent for a total of 16 years, including stints in Clearbrook, Minn., and the Sun River School District in Montana. He is also currently a finalist for the Joliet School District superintendent position, according to the Laurel Outlook.
A community forum session with Cheff is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. in the high school music room. This will be immediately followed at 4:30 p.m. by a forum with Linthicum.
The remaining candidate, Ron Windom, will likely be in town April 7, following the district's spring break. Windom is currently the superintendent at Melrose Municipal Schools in New Mexico. The time for a community forum session with Windom has yet to be determined.
The interview visits will include a two-hour session with the board, a tour of the community and an open forum with community members and staff. The board will also take candidates to lunch or dinner.
The board is about a week behind in its tentative schedule for the search process, as interviews were originally planned to take place the third week of March. The position was posted in early February, following current Superintendent Russ Kinzer's announcement of his retirement effective June 30.
Candidates were required to submit a cover letter, resume, questionnaire, five letters of reference, list of additional references, professional placement files, and copies of transcripts and certifications. Candidates who made it through the screening were also required to submit additional paperwork and authorization for a background check. The board had hoped to make a decision by one of its meetings in April.