East Grand Forks School District names four superintendent semifinalists

EAST GRAND FORKS — Four semifinalists have been named in the East Grand Forks Schools superintendent search.

The semi-finalists are:

• Bryan Hackbarth, current interim superintendent of the district;
• Kevin Grover, superintendent of International Falls Public Schools, Minnesota;
• Dave Wheeler, superintendent of Manvel Public School, North Dakota;
• and LaShawn Ray, executive director of Hiawatha Academy in Minneapolis.

The new superintendent will take the place of Mike Kolness, who resigned his position in June to take a superintendent position in Kindred, North Dakota. Hackbarth, the former superintendent at Greenway Public Schools in Coleraine, Minnesota, assumed the interim position on July 1. His interim contract will expire on June 30.

The East Grand Forks School Board suspended the initial superintendent search due to a lack of candidates, the Herald reported in June. At that time, the board said it would resume the search in November.

The four semifinalists were selected from a pool of applicants based on criteria established by the School Board with input from stakeholders provided through a survey, according to a release from the district. Interviews are scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Monday, March 4, in room 195 of the East Grand Forks Senior High School. All interviews are open to the public.