HELENA — The Helena School District has reached the final stages of its search for a new superintendent.
Last week, the school board chose two finalists:
· Kevin Aten, superintendent of the Bayfield School District in Bayfield, Colorado
· Rex Weltz, former superintendent of the Polson School District and current principal at Rossiter Elementary School
On Thursday morning, the candidates toured Helena and Capital High Schools and Bryant Elementary School, as well as the district office. They held online meetings with administrators, staff and students and met with current superintendent Tyler Ream.
The finalists will take part in a community meet-and-greet event online Thursday, starting at 7:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to participate. You can find a link to join the Zoom meeting on the district website.
School board chair Luke Muszkiewicz says it’s important to give all stakeholders a chance to hear from the candidates.
“It’s also a chance for them to understand who we are as a district and make sure it’s a good fit for them as well,” he said.
The board will hold final interviews with Aten and Weltz on Friday morning. Muszkiewicz said trustees could make their choice by the afternoon.
“It’s been a long session, and I’m glad to be coming to the close of it,” he said. “We’re excited about both of these finalists and excited about selecting our next superintendent.”
Muszkiewicz said Friday’s decision will give him authority to negotiate a contract with their top candidate. If both sides reach an agreement, the board will still have to approve the final contract at a later meeting.
