The Ketchikan School Board has selected their interim Superintendent. Sheri Boehlert will lead the district until June of next year when the permanent Superintendent is set to take over.
The board interviewed all three candidates in separate, 45 minute Zoom calls Tuesday night. The board met in executive session for over two hours to discuss the candidates and selected Boehlert, a long-time school district employee who currently serves as the principal of Schoenbar Middle School.
All school board members were present for the special meeting. Board president Katherine Tatsuda attended virtually, and said each candidate brought unique strengths and experiences to the table.
“I think ultimately, you know, Sheri has a very strong history with the district and a track record of excellence and success and team building and collaboration,” Tatsuda said. “But it was a very difficult decision on the part of the board.”
The other two applicants were Tongass School of Arts and Science Principal Scott Huff, and longtime-Alaska educator Richard Rohlman of Sterling, Alaska.
Tatsuda says right now, it’s unclear if Boehlert will continue to serve as Schoenbar Middle School’s principal while acting as the interim Superintendent. Boehlert said in a phone call Wednesday, that’s a decision she’ll make after discussing options with the board, the current interim superintendent and school staff.
During her interview, Boehlert discussed her experience working for the school district, her leadership skill and the need to address the district’s challenges. She says now is the time to redefine what the district wants for its students.
“This is an exciting, and a little bit of a scary, time for our district,” Boehlert said. “I would encourage us to look at these opportunities that was have as opportunities. And to look at them as, this is really a way that we can maybe change the way that we’ve been doing things.”
Interim Superintendent PJ Ford Slack submitted her resignation last month, which was set to go into effect mid Nov. The board has since extended her contract to Dec. 31. For the next month, Ford Slack will be working remotely. She has agreed to fly back to Ketchikan for a week next month for training. The district will be paying both salaries for Ford Slack and Boehlert for one month.
Borough assembly member Dan Ortiz was also under consideration for the role until late last week when he withdrew his name.
Applications for the permanent superintendent position are open now. The board is set to interview finalists for that position in February.
Tatsuda says the next step for the board will be finalizing contract negotiations with Boehlert.
