At least 12 people might have been trying to become Eatonville School District's superintendent by last week's application deadline. That's the number of "interested people" who either submitted an application or made inquiries to the executive search firm hired by the district to help advertise the position and screen candidates, said School Board president Bob Homan. The board, which will make the decision on who to hire to replace the retiring Rich Stewart, should know the number of serious candidates after last Thursday's deadline for applicants. After that, board members will meet March 23 in an executive session (closed to the public) to narrow the field to the top six candidates, who will be interviewed by the board April 13. Three finalists will be invited back for meetings with the community and private dinners with the board on April 22, 23 and 25. That will be followed by a job offer and formal appointment by May 1, Homan said. Other than the finalists, none of the applicants will be made public by the board, he said. Stewart, Eatonville's superintendent since 2010, told the board in January that he will retire June 30 at the end of the current school year. He and Homan have said Stewart, 64, isn't stepping down because of any dissatisfication with his role or performance. His contract runs through August 2014. McPherson and Jacobson, an Omaha, Neb.-based search and consulting firm that's helping recruit Stewart's replacement, is the same one the district used in the process that led to his selection three years ago. Qualities and skills in a superintendent that the district lists as desirable in its advertising of the position include communication with the public, emphasis on academic achievement, and financial and facilities management. Before joining Eatonville, Stewart was superintendent for nine years of the Dayton School District in eastern Washington.
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