Superintendent search in Federal Way: Public can meet finalists in March

The search for the new Federal Way School District superintendent is rapidly drawing to a close.

The next few weeks are full of meetings for the final selection process.

First up is Saturday, March 13. From 9 a.m. to noon, the school board will review applications during a specially scheduled work study meeting at the Education Service Center (ESC), 31405 18th Ave. S. The board will narrow the list to a handful of semi-finalists after hearing a presentation from the search firm. A large portion of the meeting will be recessed to executive session and not open to the public.

The board have a full day with the semi-finalist interviews to be held at The Best Western Hotel, 32124 25th Ave. S. This event will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 20. This event will be entirely an executive session and therefore closed to the public.

On March 24-26, there are full day events, with one candidate per day to meet with various members of the district and community.

The Board have already invited about 100 people to come on the different days to provide feedback on the candidates.

Each of the three days will follow the same schedule, including a continental breakfast from 7 to 7:20 a.m., followed by meetings with building administrators, directors, the advisory committee, FAST team members, a district tour, meetings with the union presidents and students. The schedule finishes with a staff and community forum and presentation from 6 to 6:50 p.m., then dinner with the board from 7 to 8 p.m.

Each of the three days will feature a different finalist for superintendent.

For the most part, the different meetings will take place at the ESC, in either the hearing room or the board room. Lunch and dinner locations have not been announced.

If all goes according to plan, the board will be making site visits to each finalist’s communities the week of March 29. During the week of April 5, the board will make its selection and offer a contract. The official approval will come on April 13 during the school board meeting.

Murphy is set to retire in June. The new superintendent will take over on July 1.