PORT TOWNSEND — A community forum to hear what qualities the public would like to see in a new Port Townsend School District superintendent is set tonight.
The forum will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Building, 450 Fir St.
Public meetings began Tuesday in the search for a new Port Townsend superintendent with a meeting at the Cotton Building, which was open to the public but in which participation was by invitation only.
Another stakeholders’ meeting from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at the Port Townsend Community Center, 620 Tyler St., also is by invitation only.
All three meetings are open to the public, though tonight’s meeting is the only one in which public input will be allowed.
Community input can also be given at a link on the Port Townsend School District website, www.ptschools.org.
Input from this week’s three public meetings will be collected to write a job description.
The school system is searching for a replacement for Gene Laes, who has said this will be his last year on the job.
Richard Parker, a representative of the search consultant firm McPherson & Jacobson LLC, based in Omaha, Neb., is conducting tonight’s meeting, while community volunteers Kris Mayer and Chris Crubaugh were tabbed to facilitate the other two meetings.
No School Board members will attend the meetings because their presence can restrict conversation, said Jennifer James Wilson, board vice chairwoman.
The search firm is receiving $6,500 for the service, plus expenses.
The contract with the school district includes a one-year guarantee.
If the person leaves the job for whatever reason within one year, the company will repeat the search process free of charge, aside from expenses.
After the job description is written and advertised, applications will be collected during the next month to six weeks.
That will be followed by a screening process to narrow the filers to a group of semifinalists who will be invited to the district for interviews.
After the first visit, the finalists will be selected, and a second round of interviews and meetings will take place.
A candidate will then be selected from the finalists.
More information about these meetings can be obtained by phoning either Mary Colton, superintendent secretary, at 360-379-4501 or Wilson at 360-385-7373.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
