The Warren County R-III School District has narrowed its search to three candidates and could have a new superintendent chosen as early as next week.

The board is entering the final phases of a lengthy and in-depth process to select a leader for the district to replace Dr. Jim Chandler, who retired in May. The district began its search shortly after his departure, contracting Missouri School Board Association representative Brent Underwood to spearhead the process.

During that time the district has narrowed a field of 21 applicants down to three finalists, who will be interviewed by the board on Nov. 21. 

These remaining candidates were chosen through a rigorous process, which included an online survey, community input forums, as well as two feedback committee interviews with the final seven candidates. 

“While we were doing the feedback committee interviews, the board was reviewing resumes,” said Underwood. “We add that with the committee’s perspective and put that together to determine who to invite in for final interviews.”

The district says it has been pleased with its efforts to engage the community in the selection process so the most appropriate candidate is chosen.

“I could not have been happier with the way our volunteers who comprised those feedback committees conducted themselves,” said Underwood. “They were eager and involved and very helpful in the process.”

The final three candidates are all from Missouri and include two standing superintendents and one standing assistant superintendent. Each of these candidates will go before the board and Underwood on Tuesday for approximately an hour-and-a-half of interviews.

“We’ll have the candidates do a powerpoint presentation of what they might look like in their day-to-day work as a superintendent in the district,” said Underwood. “At that point the board will have to decide if they want to have any other engagement with the community or do they like one person enough to offer a contract.

Originally, the board had anticipated selecting a new superintendent by the beginning of the second semester. However, other districts are making decisions earlier, subsequently taking quality candidates off the market. One of the final eight candidates was hired by another district over the past few weeks, narrowing the options.

“If we’re agreeable in the direction we want to go (on Tuesday), we could go ahead and make that decision,” said Clinger. “There’s some advantages to that, knowing our candidate doesn’t get away from us.”