Wenatchee School Board Considering an Interim Superintendent Amid Very Late Start to Search

The Wenatchee School Board met Thursday in a special meeting to discuss its options after Superintendent Paul Gordon announced last week that he would be leaving the district in June.

North Central Educational Services District (NCESD) Human Resources Executive Director Suzanne Reister, who is helping the district in the search process so far, said school districts normally start their superintendent searches in October.

"I would say most of the searches are wrapping up now for the year. They're not all completed but most are getting to the final stage." Reister said, "So that might be a missed opportunity there."

Reister's presentation and conversation with the board Thursday covered several instances where an interim superintendent would instead be used next school year. An interim would allow the district a normal, elongated superintended search process for the 2023-24 school year and beyond.

The board was provided four options:

Option A - Hire a search firm to help conduct the interim superintendent search as well as the process for a permanent superintendent

Option B - Hire someone from within the district as interim superintendent

Option C - Hire a recently retired superintendent as an interim superintendent

Option D - Ask the NCESD to provide an interim superintendent

'Option C' may already be a no-go. Dr. Michelle Price with the NCESD compiled a list of up to 20 nearby candidates, but of that list no one expressed interest in taking the job.

The board didn't make any decisions Thursday but is likely to do so at their meeting next Tuesday.

Reister also presented the board with a suggested timeline for finding an interim superintendent. The timeline is very compact compared to other superintendent searches because of the late start.

Next week, the timeline suggests that the school board evaluate all options and then schedule when it will make its decision on an option. The timeline next has the board meeting the week of April 25th to make a decision on an option and process. If all goes well under the timeline, an interim superintendent would be brought on by July 1st.

Gordon, who three years ago came to Wenatchee from the Glen Ellyn School District in the Chicago area, said the decision to relocate is based on family circumstances. He has already accepted a three year contract from the St. Charles School District, which is also in the Chicago area.