Kalispell school board to review applications for superintendent

Kalispell Public Schools board of trustees will review seven applications submitted for the superintendent position in selecting finalists to interview during its Tuesday, Jan. 23 meeting.

Interim Superintendent Randy Cline currently holds the position. The district decided to hire an interim for the 2023-24 school year after not interviewing any of the five applicants who responded to an initial job posting in March 2023 following Micah Hill’s resignation to take a position as superintendent of Missoula County Public Schools. 

The district accepted applications from mid-November through Jan. 12, posting the position with a salary range of $165,00 through $185,000, depending on experience. Finalists will be interviewed in February.

The district hired the Montana School Boards Association (MTSBA) to conduct the superintendent search. 

The position drew two Montana applicants, including Kalispell Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Matt Jensen.

Jensen has held the position since July 2021. He was one of the candidates interviewed for the interim superintendent position held by Cline. Previous to the assistant superintendent position, Jensen was superintendent of Bigfork School District for seven years. He holds a master’s in education administration.

The following are other applicants trustees will consider.

Meagan Dawson is the principal of Kulshan Middle School in Bellingham, Washington, where she has worked since July 2015, according to bellinghamschools.org. She has a doctorate in education.

Kimberly Fricker previously held a position as superintendent of the Rim of the World Unified School District in Crestline, California, a position she held for one year. She resigned from the position in December 2023, according to rimsd.k12.ca.us. Fricker has a doctorate in urban leadership.

Jon Hewitt is the principal and music teacher of the private OneSchool Global Kalispell campus. He’s held the position for six years, according to MTSBA. He has a master’s in education.

Brent Johnson is principal of Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in Wausau, Wisconsin, a position he’s held since 2018. He holds an Education Specialist degree in educational administration and a master’s in education administration.

Joseph Libby is superintendent of Sibley East Public Schools in Arlington, Minnesota. He’s been in the position since 2021 and has a doctorate in education.

Tom Meyer is superintendent of Bellevue Community School District in Bellevue, Iowa. He’s held the position for nine years and has a doctorate in education with an emphasis on personalized learning, according to MTSBA.

The school board meeting and work session begins at 6 p.m. at Flathead High School.

ALSO ON the agenda are resolutions for trustee and levy mail ballot elections on May 7 for the elementary district and high school district. 

The elementary district will have one three-year trustee term open. The high school district will have one three-year term opening. The position represents Cayuse Prairie, Creston, Deer Park and Fair-Mont-Egan. People interested in serving as a trustee have until March 28 to file a declaration of intent and oath of candidacy with district clerk Chris Campbell.

Trustees are also expected to take action on a $20,000 early retirement incentive for eligible certified employees in addition to any retirement benefits outlined in the current collective bargaining agreement between the district and the Kalispell Education Association. The money will come from the interlocal fund.

A recommendation to add high school courses will also go before trustees. 

Flathead High School is looking to add a P.E. Crossfit elective; a metal processing and welding course called Brave Makers; a trades math course for students planning to enter the workforce; a self-paced math class for pre-algebra through algebra 2 students and a Spanish for the Workplace course.

Glacier High School is looking to add a certification class for students in the areas of Adobe and Microsoft programs, communication skills for business, entrepreneurship and small business and information technology. Other new proposed courses are: Anthropology 101, History 101 — Western Civilization 1 and German 1. 

Trustees will also be given an update on the state’s Innovative Educational Program tax credit. Kalispell Public Schools secured $732,750 from 29 donors. Statewide, $21,015 is still available to claim in dollar-for-dollar tax credits out of a $5 million cap, according to https://svc.mt.gov/dor/educationdonation2/. Kalispell may claim up to $1 million, according to Cline.

The district will also discuss conducting a comprehensive needs assessment to identify and address educational needs or gaps as part of the state accreditation process. The assessment is expected to involve eight stakeholder groups. 

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.