LANGLEY – The South Whidbey School District has whittled a list of 26 candidates to three in its search for a new superintendent.
Finalists are David Peterson, assistant superintendent of the Oak Harbor School District; Fred McCarthy, principal at a small Catholic school in Seattle; and Dan Chaplick, superintendent of the Republic School District in Eastern Washington.
Peterson and McCarthy have Snohomish County ties.
The school board chose the finalists Saturday and could name a new superintendent as early as Thursday night.
South Whidbey hired interim superintendent Robert Brown 1 1/2 years ago after the district ran into financial trouble, and former Superintendent Martin Laster resigned.
“He got that straightened out,” said John Fotheringham, the district’s search consultant. “The problems are behind them.”
South Whidbey attracted plenty of interest, Fotheringham said. Earlier this month, district voters overwhelmingly approved a two-year maintenance and operation levy.
Here’s a brief look at the candidates:
* As Oak Harbor’s assistant superintendent, Peterson is responsible for instructional programs, including supervising eight school principals and the directors of special programs, curriculum, and career and technology education.
He began his career in 1979 as an elementary school special education teacher in Olympia. He was director of special services for the Eatonville and Fife school districts and was later director of curriculum and student services for the Arlington School District, where he also served as principal at Weston High School.
* McCarthy worked for the Marysville School District from 1972 to 1996 in many capacities, including teacher and as a finance, human resources and curriculum director.
He also was assistant superintendent for the Steilacoom and Riverview school districts before becoming principal at St. Benedict School in Seattle.
* Chaplick, 42, is in his first year as superintendent of the Republic School District, a rural district of 460 students. He signed a one-year contract with the idea it would be a short stay. However, the school board has since offered him a new contract, Fotheringham said.
Chaplick has been an elementary school teacher in Blaine, a middle school teacher in Burlington and was an elementary school principal in Tonasket in Eastern Washington.
Reporter Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446 or stevick@heraldnet.com.
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