Kuspuk School District selects four finalists in search for new Superintendent

March 27, 2020: The Kuspuk Board of Education superintendent search committee is pleased to announce that four individuals have been selected to interview as finalists in the search for a new superintendent. The full Board will interview the finalists via teleconference and web meeting due to the Coronavirus mitigation measures on April 14, 2020.

The Board and the AASB search consultants will endeavor to host a town hall style online forum on April 13th for all stakeholders to observe and be able to provide the Board with feedback. Details will be forthcoming soon.

The Board’s finalists are:

James Anderson – Mr. Anderson began his time in education as a teacher, coach and administrator for public schools in Georgia and Oklahoma. James has most recently served as an educational consultant to the International School of Africa and the European Azerbaijan School, developing school programs, training teachers and taking the schools through accreditation.

Previous to that he served as the head of Westside Academy and principal of Morrison Academy, both independent parochial schools. Mr. Anderson has a B.S. in Health and Physical Education from the University of Georgia (1984), an M.Ed. in Leadership & Educational Administration from the University of Central Oklahoma (1995) and received a Peabody Fellowship for independent school leadership at Vanderbilt University (2008).

George “Scott” Ballard – Mr. Ballard has recently come out of retirement and is serving as the assistant principal in Kotlik school. Mr. Ballard served as superintendent in the Iditarod Area School Districts, and a long-time educator and principal in the Lower Yukon School District (1995-2012). Mr. Ballard holds a B.Ed., M.Ed. and Superintendent endorsement from the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Brett Stirling– Mr. Stirling is presently the principal at Delta Junction High School, having started there in 2016. Brett has served as principal and teacher in several villages within the Lower Kuskokwim School District for 15 years (2001 to 2016). These include Eek, Tununak, and Toksook Bay, and Kongiganak. Mr. Stirling has a B.A. in English and Philosophy from Ohio Wesleyan Univ., an M.F.S. in Creative Writing from U.A.F., and Ed Leadership Certificate from U.A.A. and a Superintendent Endorsement from University of Alaska Southeast.

Joel Thomas – Mr. Thomas is currently the Administrator of Boarding Programs for the Lower Kuskokwim School District (LKSD) in Bethel, AK. He has worked 12 years in LKSD beginning as an itinerant special education teacher, assistant site administrator (Toksook Bay), site administrator (Tununak) and all district itinerant special education teacher. Mr. Thomas has a B.S. in English from State Univ. of NY at Brockport (2004), an M.Ed. in English and Teaching students with disabilities (2006), and M.S. in Educational Leadership from the Univ. of Alaska Anchorage (2012). Mr. Thomas is also a licensed commercially rated pilot.

The new superintendent is expected to start on or before July 1, 2020.