Nampa names five finalists for superintendent

Idaho EdNews Staff | 04/28/2017

Nampa School District trustees have narrowed their search for a new superintendent to five finalists, including four Idaho educators.

The state’s third-largest school district had 20 applicants. Here’s the short list:

Kim Bekkedahl, assistant superintendent, Kuna School District.
William Fritz, assistant superintendent, Indian River, Florida.
Andy Grover, superintendent, Melba School District.
Paula Kellerer, dean, Northwest Nazarene University.
Geoffrey Thomas, superintendent, Madison School District, Rexburg.

In February, Superintendent David Peterson announced his retirement, effective June 30. Peterson has led the district for three years.

The five finalists will be interviewed at the district office on May 5. Trustees will narrow the field and hold final interviews on May 8. The district will hold a community meet and greet from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at district offices, allowing parents and patrons to meet the finalists and offer feedback to the trustees.

Trustees, community and district representatives and parents and students will conduct the May 5 interviews. Trustee Brian McGourty is serving as board lead for the search.

Grover was a 2014 Republican candidate for superintendent of public instruction, losing in a four-way primary to eventual state superintendent Sherri Ybarra. He has been the superintendent in Melba since 2008.

Thomas, Idaho’s 2015 Superintendent of the Year, has been a vocal critic of Idaho’s Standards Achievement Test (ISAT), aligned to Idaho Core Standards.