The Roaring Fork School District Board of Education continued its search for a new superintendent Monday, interviewing six candidates for the position. Kelsy Been, chief of staff and public information officer for Roaring Fork Schools, says the board will likely announce the two to four chosen finalists by the end of Wednesday, April 6.

The school board is sticking with the superintendent hiring timeline they set forth months prior. According to the timeline, the board will conduct finalist interviews the week of April 11, identifying a preferred candidate April 18. After background checks and contract negotiations, the board plans to name the new superintendent at the April 27 board meeting.

The district received 22 applications for the superintendent position, narrowing the field down to six for Monday’s interviews after applications were reviewed by Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates, the consulting firm hired to conduct the process.

Applicants were reviewed by HYA against the leadership profile, which was developed by speaking with more than 200 stakeholders, online surveys and more than a thousand individual written responses.

At the current stage in the hiring process, all candidates and application information are kept confidential until the finalists are announced; at that point it will no longer be confidential.

Beginning April 14, each finalist will visit the Roaring Fork Schools for one full day to meet with stakeholders, tour district schools, be available for meet and greets, conduct community forums each evening, and get a sense of the Roaring Fork Valley. Depending on the number of finalists, the full-day visits may take until April 19.

The district will be forming smaller advisory committees of key stakeholder groups (students, staff, parents and community members) to have more focused time and conversations with the finalists. If you are interested in being a part of the conversations, fill out an online form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdvkwbSsykltyQPpEF9q5d13-1vxKtI3vSFW3mRz5Thp-IOig/viewform, and the district will be in touch with additional information.

In a release from the board, “Having candidates here in person gives all of us the opportunity to see how this potential leader may fit within our schools and community. We encourage all members of the community to be a part of this process and to make your voice heard. While the ultimate decision rests with the Board, community input is vital to the success of this process and achieving the ultimate goal of selecting the best candidate for our district.”