Barringer's superintendent interview set for Wednesday

Conrad School District Superintendent Craig Barringer will be available to meet the public beginning at 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Central Administration Building.

Afterward, Libby School Board members will interview the superintendent with three years experience at Conrad before the board deliberates its next step at 6 p.m.

Barringer, 50, is the last man standing of an original application field of nine, five of whom advanced to the finals round.

Shortly after being included in that elite list of five, Barringer, who was also a finalist in the Columbia Falls and Corvallis superintendent positions, withdrew his Libby application because of the time he deemed necessary to adequately prepare for the interviews.

Upon learning other candidates were offered contracts in Columbia Falls and Corvallis, and the withdrawal of Thom Peck’s application, Barringer notified Bob Vogel of the Montana School Boards Association of his willingness still to be considered for the Libby post. The Libby board contracted with Vogel and the MTSBA to facilitate the superintendent selection process that produced the original nine candidates.

Last week, upon hearing of Barringer’s continued interest in the Libby superintendent post, board members extended an invitation for the interview of now three weeks ago that never happened.

Libby Board President Ellen Johnston last week called Barringer “the only candidate we all agreed on, on paper.”

With Johnston’s comment, the stage was set to extend an invitation to Barringer, which was unanimously approved by the board.

Should the board decide Barringer is not their candidate to succeed Libby Superintendent K.W. Maki, who retires June 30, the board will repeat the pool-selection process of soliciting applications.

Besides being the Conrad superintendent, Barringer served as an elementary and middle-school principal in Conrad. He earned his bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Western Montana College and holds a masters’ degree in educational leadership from the University of Montana – Missoula.

Other finalists included Libby Elementary School Administrator Scott Beagle, Frenchtown Principal Judith McKay, Charlo Superintendent Peck and Augusta Superintendent Larry Markuson.