Update 2/10 3:00 p.m.:

The Haines School Board interviewed six superintendent candidates today over Skype. The board will choose finalists tonight after meeting in executive session.

Three of the semi-finalists have superintendent experience in Alaska. One is a superintendent in Michigan, and the others are working on their superintendent certifications in Idaho and Montana.

The board interviewed the Lower 48 candidates first today, starting with Anthony Habra, superintendent for Paw Paw Schools in Michigan. Habra has six years of superintendent experience in that state.

After working as assistant superintendent for a year in Big Sky, Montana, Candidate Tom Yahraes (Yair-is like Paris) helped revamp a small private school there which is now called Discovery Academy. Yahraes (Yair-is) is working on his superintendent license.

Applicant Kristina Brinkerhoff is also in the process of earning her superintendent certification. She has been the elementary principal for Lewiston School in Lewiston, Idaho since 2006.

Norma Holmgaard is one of the three candidates currently in Alaska. She worked for 20 months as superintendent of Yupiit School District on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta before resigning and leaving the district in February. Before that, Holmgaard worked as an administrator for the Kenai Peninsula School District. She lives in Soldotna.

Applicant Connie Newman was superintendent for three years in Chatham School District, which includes Klukwan but is based in Angoon. She is currently superintendent of Pribilof School District on St. Paul Island.

Finally, candidate Robin Gray is superintendent and principal of Yakutat School. She’s been there since 2014. Before that, Gray was an administrator for districts in Dillingham and the Bering Strait.

The board plans to choose three finalists from these six candidates tonight. The finalists will come to Haines for in-person interviews.

 

Original post:

The Haines Borough School District narrowed down a pool of 21 applicants to six semi-finalists in its superintendent search.

After spending about two and a half hours in a closed-door session, the board revealed six candidates it will interview for the job. Three of the candidates have Alaska superintendent experience, and three are currently in administrative jobs in the Lower 48.

Robin Gray is the superintendent of Yakutat School District and has been there since 2014. She served as superintendent in Dillingham and the Bering Straight school districts.

Norma Holmgaard was superintendent of the Yupiit School District. She also has administrative experience at schools in the Kenai Peninsula.

Connie Newman has been superintendent of the Pribilof School District in St. George, Alaska since 2012. Before that, she was superintendent in Pelican.

Anthony Habra is superintendent of Paw Paw Public Schools in Paw Paw, Michigan.

Kristina Brinkerhoff is an administrator at Lewiston Schools in Lewiston, Idaho working on her Superintendent endorsement.

Tom Yahraes is CEO of a Montessori School in Big Sky, Montana. He has also worked as an assistant superintendent, principal and teacher.

The candidates were vetted by the Alaska Association of School Boards, which the Haines school board hired to conduct the superintendent search. A committee of school staff gave input before the board narrowed down the applicant pool.

The board will interview the six candidates by phone Wednesday starting at 11:30 a.m. for a couple hours. Then, the board will take a break and finish the interviews at 4:30 p.m. The board plans to choose three finalists, who will come to Haines for in-person interviews later this month.