ISD 191 board advances five semifinalists for superintendent interviews

The ISD 191 Board of Education voted unanimously April 28 to advance five semifinalists to first-round interviews in its superintendent search, the board said at a special meeting called to review applicant materials and set interview logistics.

The recommendation came from the Minnesota School Boards Association, which vetted 23 applicants and proposed five finalists. Barb Dorn, director of leadership development and executive searches for MSBA, told the board, “we are recommending 5 semifinalists to interview in round 1.” Dorn later read the five names the board will invite: Dr. Latanya Daniels, Dr. Tyrone Brookins, Rebecca Burdur, Dr. Rainey Briggs and Dr. Jenna Mitcheller.

MSBA described its vetting as a multi-step process that considered the district’s leadership profile, the district’s strategic roadmap and a public survey. Dorn summarized the applicant pool: 23 applicants from six states; about 16 had superintendent or assistant-superintendent experience; about a third were female; and roughly 16 held doctorates or were in progress. MSBA staff said they conducted phone pre-interviews, reference checks and a social-media sweep as part of their review.

Board discussion focused on interview procedure and schedule. MSBA presented draft schedules for first-round interviews to be held the week of April 30–May 1 and a potential second round on May 7. The board kept in place a previously stated decision not to livestream interviews. Dorn said criminal background checks for semifinalists would be initiated through Baker Eubanks and recommended including contract contingency language tying any eventual offer to mutually agreeable contract terms and acceptable background-check results.

Directors also discussed logistics and fairness: keeping question order consistent across interviews, providing candidates with the questions briefly before their interview, timing and timekeeping during interviews, and whether to consolidate interviews on a single day. The board agreed that virtual interviews would not be offered routinely; they would be considered for extenuating circumstances such as illness on the interview day.

Chair Werb made the motion to move the five MSBA-recommended candidates into round‑one interviews; the motion was seconded by Director Chester and carried unanimously. MSBA staff will contact the candidates, distribute interview details, run the EMD (exceeds/ meets/ disappoints) scoring form after round 1 and return EMD summaries for deliberations.

Next steps outlined at the meeting: MSBA will call the recommended candidates, schedule the first-round interviews, begin background checks on the named semifinalists, and provide the board with compiled EMD results to use during deliberations should the board bring finalists back for round 2. Any final hiring decision would be contingent on mutually agreeable contract terms and acceptable background checks.

The board held the special meeting under severe weather watch protocols and adjourned after completing the agenda.