St. Louis County Schools has narrowed its search for a new superintendent.
The seven-member school board has selected four semi-finalists, according to a St. Louis County Schools, Independent School District No. 2142 news release.
Semi-finalists are: - Brian Masterson, Superintendent at Hinckley- Finlayson Public Schools in Hinckley.
- Tara Lere, Superintendent at Plummer-Worley Joint School District in Plummer, Idaho.
- Brad Johnson, Superintendent at Renville County West Public Schools in Renville.
- Hannah Frink, Student Success Coordinator at Perham-Dent Public Schools in Perham, MN.
The four semifinalists were selected from a pool of six applicants based on criteria established by the school board along with survey input provided by St. Louis County Schools and Mountain Iron-Buhl Public Schools staff along with members of the public, according to the news release.
“I think we have four very good candidates and we will try to find one that fits and works well for us,” Lynn Hilde, St. Louis County Schools board chair said.
The two school districts have been sharing current Superintendent Reggie Engebritson.
Engebritson is retiring June 30. The two districts will continue sharing a superintendent, Hilde and Laura Petersen, Mountain Iron-Buhl Public Schools board chair said.
Petersen said St. Louis County Schools has been very gracious to Mountain Iron-Buhl Public Schools in being a voice and part of the search process.
“The search process is going very smoothly,” Petersen said. We have some great applicants that I’m excited to interview.”
Under a collaboration between the two districts, the Minnesota School Boards Association was hired to guide the superintendent search.
Interviews with the four semi-finalists will be conducted at 4 p.m. Monday, Feb. 9 and 4 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 12 at the St. Louis County Schools district office in Virginia.
The district office is at 1701 Ninth Avenue North.
The interviews are open to the public.
The interviews will not be live-streamed or recorded.
A second round with finalists is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 14, Hilde said.
That would be a special meeting at 9 a.m. at the St. Louis County Schools district office.
With the selection of a finalist, negotiations would begin toward reaching a contract, Hilde said.
Without selection of a finalist, a new search could begin or an interim superintendent could be hired, as has occurred at times in school districts, Hilde said.
Hopes are to have a new superintendent under contract well ahead of a July 1 start date, Hilde said.
St. Louis County Schools is the largest school district in the state geographically.
The district’s K-12 schools are at South Ridge Campus in Culver, Cherry Campus in Iron, North Woods Campus between Cook and Orr, and Northeast Range Campus in Babbitt.
It also operates Tower-Soudan School, an elementary school in Tower.
MountainIron-Buhl HighSchool and its Merritt Elementary School are along Highway 169 in Mountain Iron.
The two districts are already sharing in other areas such as curriculum, transportation, nursing, and payroll.
