(Spirit Lake)– The blizzard that’s grippled the region has resulted in a bit of a delay in the Spirit Lake school board’s hiring of a new Superintendent.
The board last Friday selected Mike Wells, currently Superintendent of the Corning School District, and David Smith, Director of the Price Laboratory at the University of Northern Iowa, as finalists.
The board was scheduled to hold interviews with the finalists Tuesday and Wednesday, with action on hiring on Thursday. But due to the weather, they’ve now pushed back the interviews to Wednesday and Thursday, with action on hiring to be held at a special meeting Friday.
Wells, who’s been Superintendent in Corning six years, says his family has visited the area several times in the past. What piqued his interest in the Spirit Lake job, he says, is a conversation he had with Harold Overmann when he was Superintendent in Spirit Lake. He says he recalls how Overmann told him how Spirit Lake is the best place in the state to be superintendent.
Wells says he’s well versed with the challenges facing the district when it comes to finances and declining enrollment. He says compared to Corning, Spirit Lake has many more resources available to help cope with the situation.
When it comes to leadership philosophy, Wells, who’s 42, tells KUOO news he believes in shared leadership and open doors.
Smith tells KUOO news he’s very excited to be a finalist for the superintendent’s position in Spirit Lake, saying the community has a strong reputation, adding he knows a lot of people from the community.
Smith says the school itself has a strong tradition, especially when it comes to student achievement and the quality of teachers.
Smith says he looks forward to visiting more with people students and parents in the district and building relationships “with clear, honest communication”.
Smith says his leadership policy is very open door, adding he spends a lot of time in the community building relationships. He says he also does a lot of networking with superintendents in his current position.
You can hear comments from the two finalists by listening to our on-line newscast. Just click on the “newscast” tab near the top of this page.
