School Board hits the road to find superintendent

Published 6:00 am Wednesday, June 7, 2000

“Trips to Darrington and Bellingham are part of an unusual mobile school board meeting set for June 7. South Whidbey’s board members will travel to those communities to investigate the leading candidates to become the next superintendent of schools.At Darrington, board members will meet with school, union and community leaders familiar with Martin Laster, superintendent of that school district. Laster is one of South Whidbey’s finalists to replace Lisa Bjork, who has resigned.During the same 12-hour day, the South Whidbey contingent will travel to Bellingham to talk to people who know the other finalist, Greg Cowan, who is assistant superintendent of the Bellingham School District.Last week, public meetings were held on South Whidbey with three finalists, but there are no plans to visit the workplace of Gary Cohn in the Lake Washington School District.Jim Adsley, school board chairman, said Friday that Cohn hasn’t been totally eliminated from consideration, but he was the third choice. The option will be left open, however, because anything can happen with the other candidates.The school board’s first choice will be made shortly after next Wednesday’s drive-around, Adsley said. An executive session for Wednesday night was being considered on Friday. Then contract negotiations will be required. If the preferred candidate agrees to a contract, the winner can be publicly announced, perhaps as early as next Friday.In rating the two finalists, South Whidbey residents gave Laster and Cowan identical scores of 4.1 on a scale of 1 to 5. Adsley said his own analysis indicates people in the community tend to prefer Laster, while the teaching staff is more comfortable with Cowan.As for the school board members, their minds remain open, according to Adsley. I don’t know if anybody really has their minds made up, he said.He was hoping that all five board member will be available Wednesday to interview people in Darrington and Bellingham. I hope all five can see and hear the same things, he said.”