Wayzata School Board Selects 3 Finalists for Superintendent Job
The Wayzata School Board has narrowed the list of candidates for the district’s superintendent position down to three finalists.
The finalists were announced following a special board meeting Monday night. The school board selections were unanimous.
Candidates for the job include Rainey Briggs, currently the chief operations officer for Des Moines Public Schools, the largest school district in Iowa; Cory McIntyre, superintendent of Anoka-Hennepin Schools, the largest school district in Minnesota; and Robb Virgin, assistant superintendent for Eden Prairie Schools.
Each finalist will participate in “A Day in the District” on Thursday, March 5.
“Our community’s voice is an essential part of this process,” said Wayzata School Board Chair Milind Sohoni in a statement to families. “We look forward to engaging staff, students, families and community members on March 5, as we move forward to selecting the next leader of Wayzata Public Schools.”
The superintendent hire comes at a pivotal time for Wayzata Public Schools. The district has a bond referendum on April 14 in which voters will decide whether to approve nearly $500 million in building projects, including the construction two new schools (one elementary and one middle school) and the expansion of Wayzata High School, the state’s largest high school by enrollment.
The referendum would help address the district’s burgeoning enrollment growth. In the last 20 years, the district has seen student enrollment increase by nearly 4,000 students.
Whoever gets selected will replace Wayzata Superintendent Chace Anderson, who is in his 18th year serving the role and 43 years overall in public education. Anderson previously announced plans to retire at the end of the school year.
“Growing up as a small-town farm kid in Iowa, I could never have imagined that I might have the good fortune of serving in the role of superintendent for a school district like Wayzata Public Schools,” said Anderson in announcing his retirement. “I find it all to be quite humbling and it is a tremendous honor to serve this school community in this capacity.”
Finalist Interviews Open to Public
According to district officials, the finalists were selected from an initial pool of 20 applicants, based on criteria established by the Wayzata School Board and community input. Six semifinalists were interviewed by a school board subcommittee on Feb. 25 and Feb. 26.
The three finalists will spend Thursday touring four Wayzata school buildings and participating in a large-group interview conducted by community members selected from superintendent search focus groups.
The Wayzata School Board will then conduct final interviews on Friday, March 6, beginning at 8:30 a.m. The interviews, which are open to the public, will take place at the district’s Creekside Building, 16000 41st Ave. N., in Plymouth.
