The Chatham School District’s board of education has selected two candidates to be interviewed for Superintendent, according to a district statement.
The top administrator will manage the district’s roughly $4.4 million budget, which includes administering schools in Klukwan, Angoon, Gustavus and an independent learning center Tenakee Springs.
The district has had an interim superintendent since the former superintendent, Bruce Houck died suddenly of natural causes at his home in Angoon in December. Since then, John Holst, the former Superintendent of Sitka, has served as interim Superintendent for the Chatham School District.
The district’s superintendent search yielded 11 candidates, and the board chose to interview two – both currently work in Alaska.
Kary DelSignore is the director of special programs and assessment for the Yupiit School District, located in Akiachak. Similar to Chatham, it’s a regional school district serving three K-12 schools in Native village communities on the Kuskokwim River. DelSignore is enrolled in the Superintendent Credential Program at the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau, and is scheduled to graduate this semester.
She has a wide range of education administrative experience, according to the district’s announcement, mostly in Southwest Alaska, including Lake and Peninsula Regional School District.
Ralph Watkins is the principal of the Meade River School in Atqasuk in the North Slope School District. Until last year, he was the Superintendent of the Hoonah City School District, where he served for five years. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Educational Leadership at Pacific University. Prior to education administration he ran a dance and gymnastics studio for 17 years in California.
The Chatham School Board will interview the two candidates for Superintendent in Juneau later in March. They say there will be a candidate forum and an opportunity for members of the public to ask questions at the end of the month, dates to be determined.
(Correction: This article incorrectly stated that Hoonah was administered by the Chatham School District. Hoonah has it’s own Hoonah City School District which includes one school site.)
