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The board instructed its chair to start contract negotiations with the their “preferred candidate.” The interim superintendent will lead the school district for the next school year, while the board seeks a permanent successor.
Springfield Public Schools is one large step closer to securing a leader for the district’s 2026-27 school year.
In a daylong affair Tuesday, June 9, the district’s Board of Education and school community members participated in the final rounds of interviews for the interim superintendent position. The board voted unanimously at the end of the day for board Chair Jonathan Light to begin contract negotiations with its “preferred candidate.”
The candidate’s name will be publicly announced when the board approves the contract, which may be at the board’s next meeting, June 22. Acting Superintendent Jodi O’Mara’s last contractual day at the district is June 30. This means the board must hire a new leader by the end of the month for a July 1 start date.
“I really enjoyed the process,” Light said after the meeting. “I think we have had a slate of really quality candidates. It was enjoyable to talk to them about their different viewpoints on education and what they would do specifically for Springfield.”
Here are the three candidates:
- Michael Carter, superintendent of the Lake County School District and executive director of the Oregon Small Schools Association, a nonprofit advocacy organization.
- Kimberlee Pelster, principal of Thurston High School.
- John Stover, superintendent of Rockingham County Schools in North Carolina.
The board set a $210,000-$250,000 salary range for the position.
The final interview process
The district’s superintendent hiring firm, Grundmeyer Leader Services, led the final interview day, organizing tours for the three superintendent finalists in the morning, followed by four interviews: one with board members separately in executive sessions and three with subgroups of 40 staff, students and community members.
Board members spent three hours in executive session interviewing candidates in the morning and early afternoon. They then spent 90 minutes deliberating, also in executive session, on a preferred candidate after reviewing staff, student and community feedback from the day.
Executive sessions are closed to the public. Representatives of the news media can attend most executive sessions, but cannot report on what occurs in them.
Rob Hess, one of the lead consultants from Grundmeyer Leader Services, said the three groups that interviewed the finalists included students from Springfield’s Student Voice group, leaders from licensed and classified unions, administrators selected by O’Mara and community members picked by board members. Light and O’Mara picked the members of two groups that provided initial screenings during May in the first and second round interview.
“We tried to pick people who were representative of Springfield,” Hess said.
Hess said the firm came up with interview questions for finalists based on the community survey, which received more than 500 responses. The top two skills and qualifications survey respondents wanted in a superintendent were “Demonstrates ethics, integrity, and transparency” and “Fosters a positive culture and climate for teachers and staff.”
Optimism about district future
Board member Nicole De Graff said she was nervous about the interview process the night before, but was quickly comforted by the quality and preparedness of all three candidates. She also could tell from the feedback that the other three groups took their roles seriously as interviewers.
“Everybody was working towards the same single goal,” De Graff said. “So it felt collaborative, and I think it was positive for everybody else that was involved to be here.”
On the school community side of the interviews, Ingrid Nordstrom, parent and regular public commenter at board meetings, said she was impressed by the interview process and the diversity of perspectives included in her community-member group. She said she and others had the opportunity to share concerns and district strengths with each candidate.
“I was encouraged that each candidate seemed to understand the importance of transparency, clear communication and maintaining a visible presence in both schools and the community,” she said. “All three of the candidates highlighted the need to show up regularly in schools and communicate consistently with families and students, especially when navigating difficult decisions such as budget cuts.”
