6 candidates to interview for Kennewick's top school position. What we know about them
Kennewick School Board next week will interview six candidates hoping to succeed Superintendent Traci Pierce, who's set to retire June 30.
The six largely come from smaller, more rural school districts. But they have decades of service to public education, especially in the Pacific Northwest.
Joseph Castilleja, Matthew Mallery and Christopher Nesmith will interview Tuesday evening during a public meeting of the school board.
Davion Lewis, William Fritz and Lance Hansen will interview Thursday evening.
The preliminary interviews are 5:30-8:45 p.m. at the district office. The public is encouraged to attend and observe the process.
Finalists will be selected to return for interviews with staff, students and community members Feb. 4-6. Then, following a closed-door executive session, the school board plans to make its selection by Feb. 7.
The new superintendent will begin work on July 1. The contract and salary will be negotiated with the board.
Kennewick School District is the Tri-Cities' largest public school district, serving 19,000 full- and part-time students enrolled in 33 schools. About 52% are low-income and 42% identify as Hispanic.
It's also the city's largest employer, with 3,500 staff and teachers under a $320 million budget.
Pierce joined Kennewick School District in 2019 after serving 24 years in the Lake Washington School District, the state's second-largest school district.
She replaced former Kennewick Superintendent Dave Bond, who led the district for more than a decade. Her base salary during the 2023-24 school year was $188,300.
During her tenure, Pierce oversaw the construction of the 2019 bond projects and new Kennewick High School, led the school district and its 19,000 students through the COVID pandemic, and expanded technical education opportunities for Tri-City students.
Kennewick continues to weather budget constraints caused by nationwide inflation and slim investments from the state. And teachers are still working to catch up students who fell behind during pandemic-era remote learning.
An initial background check by the Herald on the candidates shows two have left prior positions under strained circumstances.
Castilleja recently left his position as Mabton superintendent following an investigation into his conduct with another employee and after disagreements with the school board over reversing two hirings, according to Yakima Herald-Republic reporting.
But the external investigation — which stemmed from an employee's complaint that Castilleja had massaged the shoulders of another staffer — concluded there was no evidence he violated district policies or laws. It found his behavior may have not been appropriate for the workplace, though.
He told the Herald-Republic he moved on from Mabton to 'pursue other opportunities' after recently retiring from the Army National Guard.
In 2017, Fritz had his contract as assistant superintendent cut at the School District of Indian River County after what appeared to be a tumultuous tenure.
According to VeroNews, the district's health insurance fund for teachers, employees and families went $7 million into the red and premiums skyrocketed under Fritz's leadership. Staff was furious after learning they had been dropped from coverage or that their Social Security numbers had been leaked in a data breach.
Most recent position: Superintendent of Mabton School District, from July 2018 to October 2024. Base salary in 2023-24 listed as $196,300.
The district has 800 students, employs 120 staff and teachers, and has an annual budget of $15 million. Located in the lower Yakima River Valley, about midway between Yakima and Richland, the student population is nearly all Hispanic and nearly half of students come from migrant backgrounds.
Experience: He began as a high school teacher in Manson School District, Chelan County, and elementary teacher in the Sunnyside School District before taking a principal position in the Mt. Adams School District. Castilleja also worked as a performance improvement consultant through GeniusCoach.com since 2008.
He has military experience, having served as a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force and as a member of the Washington National Guard between 1999 and 2024.
Education: Ph.D. in education, specializing in performance improvement from Capella University; Master's in education in curriculum, instruction and assessment from Jones International University; Bachelor's in music from Eastern Washington University; Associate's from Air University.
Most recent position: Superintendent of Mary M. Knight School District in Elma, Wash., since July 2019. Base salary in 2023-24 listed as $157,800.
Mary M. Knight School District has about 900 students, employs 40 staff and teachers, and has an annual operating budget of $20 million. The district straddles the county line dividing Grays Harbor and Mason counties.
Experience: He's worked as a teacher in the Rainier School District and held various principal roles in the Moses Lake School District. Before that, Mallery worked as executive director of human resources and executive director of state and federal programs in the Grandview School District.
Education: Master's degree in education from the University of Portland; Bachelor's degree in music from Washington State University.
Most recent position: Superintendent of Elma School District since July 2021. Base salary in 2023-24 listed as $165,000.
The Elma School District is east of Olympia, in Grays Harbor County, the district enrolls about 1,700 students, employs 300 staff and teachers, and operates under a $31 million annual budget. Although 64% of its student population is reported as low-income, its high school graduation rate hovers around 92%.
Experience: He taught computer science and business in Shelton School District before taking various roles in the West Valley School District, including executive director of innovation, assistant principal and CTE director.
Education: Ed.D. in educational leadership from Washington State University; Master's in education from University of Washington; Bachelor's in business education from Central Washington University; Associate's from Clark College.
Most recent position: Assistant superintendent of student services at South Bend Community School Corporation in South Bend, Ind. His salary is listed at $176,300.
The district is 90 miles east of Chicago and serves 15,400 students and employs 3,000 teachers and staff. Its annual budget is nearly $200 million. Located in north-central Indiana, the district is the largest and oldest in St. Joseph County and the state's fourth largest.
Experience: His previous experience includes working as executive director of support and improvement in New Orleans Public Schools, superintendent at the charter RISE Schools near Atlanta, and director of school partnerships at New Classroom in New Jersey. He's also worked as a dean at the charter KIPP LA Schools, associated executive director at Community Change Inc. and program manager with New York City Public Schools.
Education: Ph.D. in curriculum instruction and the science of learning from University of Buffalo; Master's from Clayton State University; Bachelor's in history from Bethune-Cookman University.
Most recent position: Superintendent of Knappa School District outside Astoria, Ore., since 2020. His salary for the 2024-25 school year was listed at $131,500, according to public records.
The district has about 500 students are enrolled and 81 staff and teachers employed. It operates two schools — a K-8 elementary and 9-12 high school — on an $8 million operating budget, near the mouth of the Columbia River.
Experience: He has worked as a secondary math teacher, high school assistant principal and middle school principal. Fritz has also held several leadership roles in human resources, specifically at Shoreline Public Schools and in Indian River County, Florida. He's also worked as an associate professor of teacher education at Bushnell University, a private Christian college in Eugene.
Education: Ph.D. in educational leadership from Northwest Nazarene University; Master's in education from Seattle Pacific University; Bachelor's in education from Western Washington University.
Most recent position: Superintendent of Lewiston Independent School District in Lewiston, Idaho, since 2021. His salary for the 2022-23 school year was listed at $155,000, per Idaho salary data.
The district has 4,500 students enrolled and 650 employees, with an annual operating budget of $70 million.
Experience: He taught in the Moscow School District and Emmett Independent School District before making the move to Lewiston. Before taking on the role of superintendent Hansen worked for many years as high school assistant principal, high school principal and assistant superintendent.
Education: Master's in educational leadership from University of Idaho; Bachelor's in Spanish and math from University of Idaho.
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