Four interviews set up for superintendent search

McCook Public Schools' business manager is one of the final four candidates who will be interviewed next week for the school district's superintendent position.

Following a week of interview activities, board president Tom Bredvick said this morning, the school system should know its new leader by, at the latest, the board's regular meeting Monday, Feb. 9.

Board of education members pared down a list of 10 candidates to the top four at a special board meeting Tuesday.

Interviews will be scheduled with Rick Haney of McCook, Grant Norgaard of Leigh, Paul Calvert of Columbus and Vernon Fisher of Lincoln.

Haney's employment history includes positions in McCook's school system, as business instructor, high school administration/activities director and currently as business manager.

Norgaard, of Leigh, was elementary and junior high principal at Dundy County Schools at Benkelman, elementary principal at Columbus Public Schools and superintendent/K-6 principal at Leigh Community Schools.

Calvert, of Columbus, has been superintendent at Akron-Westfield in Iowa, Creek Valley Public Schools at Chappell and Columbus Lakeview Public Schools.

Fisher, of Lincoln, has been middle school principal at Beatrice Public Schools and high school principal and director of school improvement at Lincoln Public Schools.

The board plans to spend an evening and a morning next week with each candidate. The evening schedule for each will include an informal dinner with the school board at 5:30 p.m. and the board interview at 6:45 p.m.

The morning schedule includes meeting the staff of the superintendent's office at 7:30 a.m., meeting administrators and certificated staff at 8 a.m., meeting community members and classified staff at 9 a.m., and touring the district's facilities at 10:30 a.m.

Calvert interviews Monday evening and Tuesday morning. Haney interviews Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. Norgaard interviews Wednesday evening and Thursday morning. Fisher interviews Thursday evening and Friday morning.

Board president Bredvick said the board plans a special meeting Friday, Jan. 30, at 5:30 p.m., in the junior high conference room, to review and assess the candidates. The majority of this meeting will be in closed session, after which there will be no action taken.

Bredvick said he will meet over the weekend -- Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 -- with the board's top candidate.

The contract extended to the final candidate will be ratified at a special follow-up meeting scheduled either during the week of Feb. 2 or at the board's regular meeting Monday, Feb. 9.