The Ketchikan School Board is still searching for a temporary district leader. The board unanimously approved an extension for the district’s interim superintendent Wednesday night at a regular meeting, giving them until the end of the year to find a replacement.
Interim superintendent PJ Ford Slack submitted her resignation last month and was set to be effective next Friday. She will now be working remotely until the end of December.
Some district staff have told the board the next interim leader should come internally from one of the schools or central office. But that comes with its own set of challenges.
The board will decide on a new interim superintendent at a special meeting on Nov. 20. That means there will be a month where the district will have to pay salaries for both superintendents: Ford Slack and her replacement.
The job posting for the regular superintendent position was posted last weekend on the Association of Alaska School Boards website, with a closing date of Jan 2. The salary range for that position is between $145,000-$175,000.
The board also unanimously voted to not pass a revision to the district’s Academic Honesty policy that would include student use of artificial intelligence, or AI. That is going back to the board’s policy committee so they can further meet with teachers and evaluate their needs before establishing a district-wide policy.
