Board seeks query

Libby School Board members have their sights set on one candidate, and if he turns out not to be the one, they will start the superintendent-selection process all over again.

During Thursday’s meeting, board members reconciled the withdrawal of Charlo Superintendent Thom Peck, eliminated candidates Judith McKay and Scott Beagle, and offered an interview to Craig Barringer, the current superintendent of the Conrad School District.

Barringer was one of the five finalists the board advanced for personal interviews two weeks ago, but he withdrew his name for consideration because he was simultaneously being considered for jobs in Columbia Falls and Corvallis.

“It was just too much time away from the district,” Barringer said Thursday after learning the Libby board wants a second look. “I was in those other processes, and going to Libby would have meant I would be out for three weeks. It was just too much time away.”

Barringer’s withdrawal left four candidates, Beagle, McKay, Peck and Larry Markuson. Peck and Markuson also have superintendent certifications. McKay may have her certification by June 30 when current Libby Superintendent K.W. Maki resigns. Beagle is an administrator at Libby Elementary School but does not have superintendent licensure.

 While considered for the Columbia Falls and Corvallis jobs, Barringer, who has three years experience as a superintendent, was unsuccessful in those quests. Upon hearing of Peck’s withdrawal this week for consideration for the Libby job, Barringer contacted Montana School Board Association Governmental  Relations Director Bob Vogel and expressed an interest.

“I think we should offer him an interview,” said Libby Board President Ellen Johnston. “He’s the only candidate we all agreed on, on paper. I think he felt bad about opting out of Libby.”

Johnston said as fine as all the candidates are who applied, she wants the next Libby superintendent to be experienced.

“I’m just unwilling for Libby to be a training ground for candidates who have no (superintendent) experience. If this doesn’t work out, I say we go back to the pool,” Johnston said.

The decision to interview Barringer was unanimous.

As for his withdrawal, Peck said there were multiple reasons.

“When it came down to it, I wish the board had done it a little differently,” Peck said. “I hear they voted, and I have 4? votes to Beagle’s 2?. I don’t know if that sits well with me. If they’d had said, ‘You’re our guy and by the way, we want to do a site visit,’ I’d have been OK with that. I did not object to the site visit. School boards do them every day.”

 Peck also said he is in a relationship and his girlfriend was hesitant to leaving Charlo.

 “Perhaps, I could have done a better sell to her if I had a contract in my hand,” Peck said. “Also, we have adopted a 17-year-old homeless student, so this all plays into it.”

Libby’s board tentatively set the Barringer interview for Tuesday. However, in talking with him after the Libby board met, Barringer said that was impossible.

“We have a school board meeting here Tuesday,” Barringer said. “I can leave right after that meeting and be in Libby on Wednesday. I just can’t cancel that meeting. We’ve already rescheduled it once.”