Kalispell Public Schools trustee board narrows superintendent search

Jan. 26—The Kalispell Public Schools Board of Trustees has narrowed the pool of applicants for its superintendent position to four finalists with interviews expected to occur the week of Feb. 5.

The candidates to oversee the roughly 6,148-student school district are: Kimberly Fricker, Joseph Libby, Tom Meyer and Matt Jensen.

Experience proved a common refrain during the discussion at Tuesday night's board meeting.

"I was looking that they have some building-level experience. I didn't want somebody who only worked from the top," said Trustee Sue Corrigan.

Corrigan and other trustees agreed they wanted candidates with prior experience as a superintendent.

"We do have a lot with principals [who applied], but we're a growing AA district. I think we really need somebody that has had superintendent experiences," she said. "And I wanted to hear from their references ... that they were a good communicator. I think you know that comes up over and over again."

Trustees went around the table naming their top three choices. They were in agreement about interviewing Jensen and Meyer while lacking consensus on a third candidate, vacillating between Fricker and Libby. Ultimately, trustees opted to interview all four.

Jensen currently works as one of the district's assistant superintendents, a position he's held since July 2021. He previously was superintendent of the Bigfork School District for seven years and has a master's degree in education administration.

Meyer is superintendent of Bellevue Community School District in Bellevue, Iowa. He's held the position for nine years and has a doctorate in education with an emphasis on personalized learning, according to Montana School Boards Association. Bellevue Community School District has an enrollment of about 705 students, according to the Iowa Department of Education.

Fricker previously worked as superintendent of the Rim of the World Unified School District in California, a position she held for one year. Fricker has a doctorate in urban leadership. The school district has an enrollment of around 2,907 students, according to the California Department of Education.

Libby is superintendent of Sibley East Public Schools in Arlington, Minnesota. He's been in the position since 2021 and has a doctorate in education. Sibley East Public Schools has an enrollment of around 972 students, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.

The next step is conducting reference and background checks.

MONTANA SCHOOL Boards Association was hired to conduct the superintendent search and received seven applications for the position.

"That's quite high just so you're aware," said Andrew Vigeland, staff attorney for the statewide organization. "One of best pools that we've had, and from a field that appears to be quite well qualified."

This is the second time the position has been posted following Micah Hill's resignation in 2023 to become superintendent of Missoula County Public Schools. Following news of his departure, the board launched a superintendent search.

In April 2023, the board decided to seek an interim superintendent for the current school year after opting against interviewing any of the five applicants who responded to its initial job posting. The timing of the initial posting was cited as an issue in not drawing a larger candidate pool in addition to possible competition. At the time, there were about 16 superintendent vacancies across Montana.

Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.