One current Idaho superintendent and one former Idaho superintendent are in the running for the Coeur d’Alene School District’s top job.
Peter McPherson and Stan Olson are the finalists for Coeur d’Alene’s interim superintendent’s job, the district announced Thursday. They will interview for the job Tuesday, and trustees are expected to make a hire shortly after the interviews.
McPherson is the Challis School District’s superintendent and federal programs director. He has 20 years of education experience, including work as a high school principal, department chair and athletic director.
Olson is a former superintendent in the Boise School District. In 2010, he was the Democratic candidate for state schools superintendent, losing to Republican Tom Luna. He now works for Silverback Learning Solutions, a Boise-based education software company.
The interim superintendent post is, by design, a short-term job. The contract will run only through the 2017-18 school year, while the district launches a nationwide search for a permanent superintendent. The interim superintendent cannot apply for the permanent position.
The interim superintendent will succeed Matt Handelman, who is leaving Coeur d’Alene for an administrative position with Evergreen Public Schools in Vancouver, Wash.