De Pere School Board set to name new superintendent soon from 3 finalists
DE PERE - The De Pere School Board plans to name its next superintendent by the end of the year, with the decision possible as soon as Thursday.
School Board members will meet in closed session at their Thursday night meeting for another round of interviews, with a decision possible later that night although an announcement that soon is unlikely, according to Tracy Schrader, the district's administrative assistant.
Last month, the board narrowed six applicants to three finalists.
The finalists are:
» Margo Schmitt, director of grants, professional development, social and emotional learning, and multi-tiered systems of support with the Barrington School District in Illinois.
» Chad Buboltz, director of learning and leadership for secondary schools with the Neenah Joint School District.
» Chris Thompson, district administrator with the Rosholt School District in Portage County.
The board started interviewing candidates in October to replace Ben Villarruel, who in December 2020 announced he would be retiring at the end of the 2021-22 school year. He was with the district for 20 years.
The district's goal is to name Villarruel's replacement by the end of the month, allowing the new hire time to transition into the role by July.
The next superintendent will take over a district with a $60 million annual budget, six schools, over 4,300 students and about 500 employees.
The candidates each held virtual meetings to talk to parents and school staff in November and answer their questions.
RELATED: De Pere School Board begins interviewing candidates to replace superintendent who served 20 years
Contact Benita Mathew at bmathew@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @benita_mathew.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: De Pere School Board names Schmitt, Buboltz, and Thompson as finalists
