SEQUIM — The Sequim School Board voted unanimously Thursday evening to pass on the two candidates vying for school superintendent.
After emerging from a 90-minute closed-door executive session in which they had discussed the candidates, board member John Bridge made a motion to decline offering a contract to either man.
“I don’t think that either candidate really . . . seemed to be a good fit that Sequim needed,” he said.
“I couldn’t come up with a clear choice,” added Bev Horan, the board’s president.
The decision was “incredibly tough,” said board member Mike Howe. “It became obvious that neither one was a good fit.”
Heather Jeffers, board vice president, said neither candidate stood out, and “I don’t like to settle.”
Board member Walt Johnson did not comment.
The two candidates — Sheldon Berman of Eugene, Ore., and Joe Potts from the Seattle suburb of Kent — were chosen earlier this week by the School Board from a pool of applicants
The board also chose a third candidate, Heather Davis-Schmidt of Missoula, Mont., but this week she accepted a position with the Whitefish (Mont.) School District and was no longer in the running.
The present school superintendent, Patrick Kelly Shea, is leaving June 30 to become superintendent of the East Valley School District in Spokane Valley. He has served in Sequim since March 23, 2012.
The search for a new superintendent began in mid-March. The new superintendent was expected to assume the post July 1.
What’s next
During their next regular meeting Monday night, School Board members will go into executive session, closed to the public, to discuss their options.
“We need to talk about . . . what is the next step,” said Bridge. “That is going to wait until Monday night.”
Monday’s meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the District Board Room, 503 N. Sequim Ave.
The three candidates were chosen from an initial pool of 24 applicants. That list was whittled down to five semifinalists before the trio was chosen.
Berman and Potts have been touring the school district this week, being interviewed by the School Board and meeting the public in forums.
Berman is the superintendent of Eugene School District 4-J.
He previously served as the superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools in Kentucky from 2007 to 2011.
From 1993 to 2007, he was superintendent of Hudson Public Schools outside of Boston.
Potts has been principal of Kentlake High School since autumn of 2010.
Before that, he served as assistant principal at Kentwood High School in Covington north of Auburn in King County.
A farewell reception for Shea is planned from 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 10, in the district boardroom at 503 N. Sequim Ave.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-681-2390, ext. 5052, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
