The school district has scheduled a full-day interview process on Aug. 4 for the transportation director position after receiving seven applicants, staff said. The pool was screened and staff reported three finalists will complete a day-long interview that includes a district tour, a writing prompt and panel interviews; a public meet-and-greet with staff and community members is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

"We got 7 candidates, which is really highly competitive," a district staff member said. "We picked our top 3. In this case...we'll go through a full interview process, which is why it's 9 to 03:30." The presenter said the finalists will present a 30-60-90 day plan if they are brought back as finalists and that staff expect to recommend a candidate to the board the week of the ninth; the board may need to call a special meeting for approval.

The presenter described an emphasis on panel composition and on driver/transportation-staff input during the job-description design: interview questions and preferred qualifications were informed by current drivers and transportation staff, the presenter said, so that the selected candidate would reflect staff priorities. Staff invited any board member or parent to sit on the interview panel; one board member confirmed availability to serve on the panel.

Next steps: the district will complete reference and background checks, hold follow-up interviews with the two finalists (a "day 2" with a smaller panel), and return to the board with a recommendation. Staff indicated the position will include an onboarding period and that the transportation department will help the new director transition into the role.