Highland School District expected to narrow superintendent choices to three Tuesday night

The Highland School District is expected to narrow the field for its superintendent position to three Tuesday night.

The field currently includes six candidates who will be interviewed from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Highland High classitorium.

The candidates are:

• Mark Anderson, superintendent of the Lone Rock School District in Stevensville, Mont.

• Matt Mallery, executive director for state and federal programs in the Grandview School District.

• Walt Wegener, student services coordinator for the Toppenish School District.

• Jane Westergaard-Nimocks, director of human resources and student services for Yelm Community Schools in Yelm, Wash.

• Rick Winters, superintendent of St. John-Endicott School Districts in Whitman County, Wash.

• Scott Wells, assistant principal and athletic director, Riverside Christian School, Yakima.

At the close of the evening, the field will be narrowed to three.

Interviews with the three finalists will be held in a community forum, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. April 13 in the high school commons.

The school board plans to offer a contract to the new superintendent at its April 21 meeting. 

Last fall, Gary Masten, the current superintendent, opted to resign at the end of the 2008-09 school year. His annual salary is about $100,000.

Before coming to the Highland district about five years ago, Masten worked more than 25 years for the West Valley and Selah school districts. Last year, he won the Science Education Advocate Award for his work to reform science education.

The district enrolls about 1,000 students from preschool through 12th grade in four schools. It covers Naches Heights, Cowiche and Tieton.

For more information, call school board member Nikki Keller at 509-673-2585 or the district office at 509-678-4173.