The Keokuk School Board could announce the finalists in its search for a new school superintendent within the next couple days, and the board still hopes to achieve its goal of offering the job before July 1.
Board President Janne Long said Tuesday that a group of 15 people connected to the school district -- be it central office employees, administrators, and board members -- reviewed the 15 applications received for the post. She said after the applicants' experience, resumes, and qualifications, the group was able to narrow the field to five semi-finalists.
The five were invited to Keokuk for interviews (June 20-21) with three select committees. Two committees consisted solely of district personnel while the third included members of the community.
Long said the school board will consider the results of those interviews during a closed door meeting June 21 at 6:30 p.m. at the central office. She said the goal is to identify 2-3 finalists by the end of the meeting.
"There are some great candidates and we are all hopeful and optimistic that we will find a fit for both the district and the potential new superintendent," said Long.
Long said the names of the finalists will be made public once the final interviews are scheduled. She said the goal is for those interviews and public receptions to be held June 27-28.
Long said there are no internal candidates for the position.
The school board is working on a tight timeline in part because current Superintendent Tim Hood's last day on the job is June 30. He is leaving to take a shared superintendent job in southwest Iowa.
Long said former Keokuk Superintendent Lora Wolff has agreed to help the district if the next superintendent cannot start work on July 1. Wolff is currently working for the district as a consultant.
