Board narrows search for schools chief

After an extensive series of interviews on Friday and Saturday, June 18-19, the Sisters School Board has narrowed the field in its search for a new superintendent of schools.

On Friday, June 25, the Sisters School District will host a public reception at Sisters Middle School in the Lecture/Drama Room from 5 to 6:30 p.m. to provide the community with an opportunity to meet the finalists. Community members will have an opportunity to visit with the candidates and ask questions in an informal setting. Light refreshments will be served.

School board chair Glen Lasken told The Nugget that the district has two very strong final candidates. A third finalist withdrew due to salary considerations, according to Lasken.

The finalists are:

• Ron Tolman -- currently Superintendent of Schools for Lincoln County, Montana.

According to Lasken, Tolman has been with the Lincoln County School district for 30 years and has "very impressive knowledge of curriculum and academic-related issues."

Lasken said Tolman's district achieved higher test scores in each year of his tenure there.

Lasken also said the candidate has strong qualifications in financial management, having weathered budget cuts and built cash reserves for his district.

Tolman is a "solid, conservative financial person," Lasken said. The board chair also described him as "dynamic, brilliant -- just a likable, knowledgeable person."

• Ted Thonstad -- currently Superintendent of Schools in Condon.

Thonstad came to education as a second career after a successful career in business, including owning and operating the Printing Post in Redmond for 13 years.

Lasken said he has a "very strong financial background." The board chair also extolled Thonstad's community involvement, which he described as "beyond superlative."

He served on the Redmond School Board, including multiple terms as chair; founded and presided over the Redmond School Foundation; was named First Citizen of Redmond; and was a Rotary Club President.

As Lasken described it, Thonstad was "bitten by the education bug" and returned to school in 2000 to earn a master's degree in education.

He is currently serving as superintendent in Condon, where he turned the small district's finances around, pushing to pass a local option tax, and has enhanced the school's performance.

"He's a tornado of activity and success," Lasken noted.

The board will have further interviews and interactions with both candidates through Thursday and Friday of this week and will deliberate on their choice on Saturday.

A decision may be forthcoming from those deliberations.

Lasken said the choice between two excellent candidates will not be easy.

"I think we choose the person who is the best fit for Sisters and the person best suited to lead us forward," he said. "It'll be a tough choice. I have to say I was thoroughly delighted with the strength of the pool."

The district's search was conducted by Lee Pasquarella of Cascade Consulting Group, based in Bellevue, Wash.