On Monday, the Keota Community School District Board of Education released an update on the hiring process for its superintendent and high school principal positions. The search began after Jim Henrich, who has held the positions since 2017, announced that he will be retiring at the end of the school year.

The board met with staff at Grundmeyer Leader Services, an organization that has been assisting the district during the search. Seven initial candidates applied, with two outside the state of Iowa. The pool included five male candidates, one female, and one who did not disclose a gender. Two of the candidates hold a doctoral degree, while four hold a specialist or six-year degree.

In a closed session on January 12, the board reviewed the seven candidates’ application materials, references, licensure verification, and social media. Ultimately four candidates were selected for screening interviews, which are scheduled to take place on Wednesday, January 25. Following these interviews, the board plans to narrow the field to three finalists.

Those three finalists will then take part in a formal interview on Thursday, February 2. Interview teams will consist of students, staff, teachers, administrators, and community members, who will all provide feedback on the finalists at the conclusion of the interviews.

The new superintendent and high school principal for the Keota Community School District will begin on July 1 of this year.