Superintendent candidate Mr. Blevens tells Norfork board he will prioritize workforce readiness and community visibility

Mr. Blevens, a finalist for the Norfork School District superintendent post, told the school board during a public question‑and‑answer session that student success should prepare graduates "to join the workforce," whether through college or vocational training.

Asked what student success looks like, he said, "student success for me would be preparing them to in today's world to join the workforce. Either through going to college or going to some kind of life skill," and added that interpersonal skills — "to meet people and to talk to people" — matter as much as academics. The exchange took place during a roughly 30‑minute public forum the board held before moving to executive session.

Mr. Blevens recounted prior experience leading district consolidation battles that required legal resolution and community unification. He described stepping into a district with competing factions and said he worked through a consolidation agreement that involved the state courts, adding the outcome increased enrollment and brought additional funding: "First year we had 545 which was a boost because that mean we got a lot more funding plus we got consolidation funding on that too."

On managing staff and building trust, he said the superintendent must be transparent with the board and accessible to families. "The one thing you cannot do with a school board ever is lie to them," he said, and added that he maintains an open‑door approach: "If my truck red trucks on this campus somewhere, I'm here. So just have my secretary to find me. I'll meet with him."

A member of the public raised concerns about a lack of district communication; Mr. Blevens said the district should "beat her chest like a big gorilla sometimes when our kids do good" and recommended designating time or staff to take pictures and produce articles so families can see student successes. He also said he gives out his cell phone number to parents to remain accessible.

When asked how he approaches unpopular policy changes, he cited examples such as phone policies and bus rules, noting some restrictions stem from state law and that exceptions may be needed for students with IEPs: "state law says no cell phones and it's going to be there have to be exceptions. I'm sure if it's in their IEP or something like that." He said tough choices require visibility and direct communication with the community.

The public portion lasted about 30 minutes; the board then moved into an executive session at 5:28 p.m. to continue discussions about the candidate.