In a unanimous vote, MV School Board selected Grant Storey as its next superintendent.
Storey currently works as the Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Dual Credit Coordinator for the Methow Valley School District.
“We had a robust discussion and had to talk really fast at the end of it to get all of our thoughts out. I feel very good about our process,” School Board Chair Dana Stromberger said following the closed meeting and before the vote.
The announcement of the vacancy was sent to several thousand people, 30 who looked at the job, 13 who applied, five who were selected for an interview and three who were selected in the final round. One of the finalists rescinded his application, which left the district with two candidates: Julie Price, Principal of Gess Elementary in Chewelah School District, and Storey.
“We have spent collectively so much time thinking about this and checking the backgrounds and evaluating the candidates, and it was a tough decision,” said School Board Director Jennifer Zbyszewski.
“I think that Grant has done remarkable things with our school district and transformed it with the CTE program that he built from the ground up,” she added. “He’s a very strong leader and people like to follow him and I think he would make a great superintendent.”
In seconding Zbyszewski’s motion to offer Storey the position, Judith Hardmeyer-Wright said, “I feel that Grant has the pulse of the community…. I think there’s so many things coming down statewide, federal-wide, that he’s already in so many of those areas that might take cuts, might not. I feel like the humility that he has, and the ability to think, to stretch to elementary, I see as a real plus that he has that stance, that I built this, but this over here needs a similar emphasis and I think he’s willing to go there and has expressed that.”
Both candidates answered preselected questions on Tuesday at the Methow Valley Elementary School Library. MVE Principal Paul Gutzler served as moderator. Attendees were given an opportunity to submit their reflections in writing following the interviews. Stromberger said the school board received 100 comments in total following the interviews and candidates’ meetings with select members of the community.
Boo Schneider, the newest school board member selected Jan. 31, said, “I just appreciate his methodical way about how he approaches problems and has this big goal in mind and backs up to see, okay, where are we, what do we need to improve to get there? And I think he’ll apply that to all the things that he humbly said, I need to work on that. That’s an area I’m going to learn more about, so he’s up to it.”
“The amount of preparation that went into his interview day was so evident and the amazing mental capacity and learning capacity… it was impressive,” said Stromberger
“Julie did very well in our evaluation and she will be a great superintendent someday, but I think Grant is the right fit for us,” said Zbyszewski.
The board followed with a roll call vote which came unanimous for Storey. Board member Frank Kline voted by speakerphone.
The next step is contract negotiations with Storey.
