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Four candidates were scheduled to be interviewed today (Friday) for the Hillsboro High School principal position.

A seven-member committee of administrators, school board members, faculty and staff will aid in the selection process, according to Supt. Mike Bitz.

Chosen from 15 applicants, the candidates are:  Mark Rerick, English teacher and athletic director at Hillsboro High School; Terry Baesler, high school principal at Northern Cass School; Dan Holder, a teacher at West Fargo, N.D., High School; and David Nowatzki, a science teacher at Grand Forks Red River High School. 

Bitz noted that most of the applicants did not have experience as an administrator.

No deadline has been set for hiring a new principal, Bitz said. Interim principal Ron Stahlecker was contracted as a part-time administrator  last August and will work through the end of May, Bitz said. He replaced Kevin Coles who left the Hillsboro school district after 12 years to become superintendent of the Northwood, N.D. school district last August.

School board members approved a contract last Thursday for a new English teacher. Matt Trapp, a teacher at Divide County High School in Crosby, N.D. will join the HHS staff this fall. He replaces Gayle King who is retiring.

Bitz said that the Hillsboro and Thompson school districts are working together to hire a FACS (family and consumer sciences) teacher. Both schools are looking for a teacher to fill this position and have struck on a deal to share staff. Interviews are planned with two applicants soon, Bitz said. He expects someone to be hired by May 1 to replace Elaine Laxdal, who is also retiring after more than 25 years at HHS.

Librarian Kay Rotvold is also retiring at the end of the school year. Her replacement will be Sue Reed, longtime Title I teacher.

Another staff change involves Jane Hurt, who will move from Reading First reading coach to elementary  teacher.

In other matters at the April 10 meeting, the school board:

n   Accepted a bid of $89,900 to re-roof a portion of the high school. GSC Construction of Grand Forks will remove the existing roofing and replace it with a TPO membrane system.

The 20-plus year-old roof has some leaks, Bitz noted. The roof covering the main north-south portion of the high school, the library, the lobby and the hallway on the south side of the gym will be completed sometime this summer, Bitz reported. Roof repairs were completed over the stage and music room in 2007.

Bitz said the repairs will be financed using a $24,446 state “deferred maintenance” grant as well as money in the special reserve and general fund. The grant money is earmarked for work on buildings, Bitz said, “not equipment, not books.”

■   Heard from Supt. Bitz that the state did not expect any “contingency  payments” to be available at the end of the biennium. Bitz explained that for the past decade the state DPI had overestimated the number of students in the state. As a result, money intended for per-pupil payments was typically leftover and was distributed to school districts as contingency payments. The DPR reported that projections “indicate a very tight budget” and contingency funding (previously estimated at $4 million) will not likely be available. Bitz said Hillsboro district may fall short of some special education funding as a result, a fact he wanted to share with board members.

■   Heard from the state Dept. of Public Instruction that both Hillsboro schools were accredited “as high as we can be,” according to Supt. Bitz.

■   Pledged to work with the Hillsboro Park Board as the recreation group tries to create a skateboard park for local youth. The school board declined to make a tennis court near the elementary school available as a site but was “willing to work with” the park board. “It’s a good idea,” suggested Bitz.

■   Noted that both school buildings passed inspection by the state fire marshal in March.

■   Accepted the resignation of Garth Limke as junior high track coach and approved a contract with Heidi Eckart as his replacement.

■    Noted that the school’s 15-passenger van will no longer be legal for transporting students after June 30. Bitz said he and bus superintendent Dennis Duval had been searching for replacement but were disappointed by the choice of available vehicles.