Tracy names elementary principal finalists
By Deb GauTwo local educators are among the seven finalists the Tracy Area School Board has selected to be interviewed for elementary principal, Tracy Superintendent David Marlette said Tuesday.
Finalists include Shawn Smith, principal of Lincoln HI Elementary in Hendricks, and Laurie Nord, a Tracy resident and former principal at Princeton Public Schools, along with Michael Gross, a special education teacher at Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunberg High School, Brad Gustafson, a second-grade teacher at Sunrise River School in North Branch, Chad Otterness, an emotional/behavioral disabilities teacher at Friedell Middle School in Rochester, Jeff Roland, assistant principal at Kaposia Education Center in South St. Paul, and Michelle Schrantz, assistant principal at Maple River West Middle School in Amboy.
"We are looking for educational experience, credentials," Marlette said. "We're looking for the best person."
The new elementary principal would take over for Scott Loeslie, who accepted a position as superintendent of the Barnesville School District starting this month.
The school board, along with administration, staff and parents from the community, will be interviewing candidates tonight and Thursday morning, Marlette said. The original plan was to interview six finalists, Marlette said, but several candidates were similarly qualified, making it hard to narrow the field.
Each of the finalist candidates will be interviewed by three different groups, led by school administrators and board members. After interviews are completed Thursday, the school board will hold a special meeting to select a candidate to offer the position to.
However, securing a final contract may prove challenging, at least at this time, Marlette said.
There is a high demand for principals before the start of the upcoming school year, he said. One applicant had accepted a position with another school district before Tracy could arrange an interview.
Marlette said the board's goal is to finish contract negotiations this month, in time for a new principal to take office Aug. 1. But Marlette said there's always the possibility that the board will have to fall back on other options, like re-opening the position or contracting for an interim principal.
"Hopefully, we'll see someone who is a good fit for us," Marlette said.
