The superintendent and high school principal in the Hillsboro (N.D.) School District are among 20 people hoping to become the next superintendent of the Central Cass School District.
Superintendent Mike Bitz and principal Kevin Coles filed applications to fill the position vacated by Larry Gegelman, who resigned in mid-April during an investigation into whether he could be fired for conduct unbecoming a superintendent.
Gegelman is on paid administrative leave until the end of June.
About 426 students are enrolled in the Hillsboro School District, including 216 at the high school. The Central Cass School District has an enrollment of 827.
The new superintendent will be paid between $80,000 and $85,000, excluding benefits. Gegelman's salary is $82,200.
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Board members agreed May 17 to table discussion on a contract length. But the position typically carries a one-year contract, said Pam Utt, the School District's business manager.
The list of candidates will be trimmed at a special School Board meeting May 30.
Candidate interviews will be conducted over four days beginning May 31. A final decision is expected after the last interview June 3.
Eleven of the 20 applicants are teachers or administrators at North Dakota schools.
The deadline to apply for the position was last Friday.
The Forum received candidates' names Tuesday afternoon, five days after requesting them at a special School Board meeting.
On Monday, the School Board voted unanimously to request that the consulting firm conducting the superintendent search - McPherson & Jacobson of Omaha, Neb. - release the names Tuesday.
The remaining candidates are superintendents or principals in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Wyoming and Maryland. One candidate, Harold Larson, is a retired southern Minnesota superintendent living in West Fargo.
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Readers can reach Forum reporter Joe Whetham at (701) 241-5557
Candidates
Twenty people applied to become the next superintendent of the Central Cass School District. Among them are 11 teacher or administrators from North Dakota, including the superintendent and high school principal in the Hillsboro School District. The list of candidates will be trimmed at a special School Board meeting May 30.
- Richard Bailey, Lake Region State College teacher
- Mike Bitz, Hillsboro School District superintendent
- Brian Bubach, Maddock School District superintendent
- Michael Campbell, Sargent Central School District superintendent
- Kevin Coles, Hillsboro High School principal
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- Bill Dietz, Selfridge School District superintendent
- Patrick Feist, Glen Ullin School District superintendent
- Delbert Fry, Powers Lake School District superintendent
- Albert Liebersbach, Harvey High School secondary principal
- Clyde Naasz, Fort Yates School District administrator
- Michael Severson, Flasher School District superintendent
Minnesota
- Joel Young, Campbell-Tintah School District superintendent
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- Harold Larson, retired, former superintendent of Laporte School District and Lesueur-Henderson School District Iowa
- John Dotson, Louisa-Muscatine School District superintendent Wisconsin
- Charles Dunlop, Turtle Lake School District administrator Idaho
- Terry Erholtz, Nezperce School District superintendent South Dakota
- Larry Gauer, Smee School District superintendent Wyoming
- Robert Osland, Carbon County School District No. 2 superintendent Maryland
- Margaret Pastor, Stedwick Elementary School principal Alaska
- Dennis Maasjo, Aleutians East Borough School District superintendent
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Names provided by McPherson & Jacobson
