Interim superintendent appointed

Dolores Gibbons will serve as the Northshore School District's interim superintendent through June 2008 while a permanent superintendent is sought, the School Board unanimously decided Tuesday.

The board also approved a request for proposals from superintendent search firms across the country. The board plans to interview and choose a firm in November, said B-Z Davis, board president.

Gibbons joined the district last month as special assistant to the superintendent to support Karen Forys while she was undergoing cancer treatment. Forys, who had overseen the district since 1994, died Sept. 17.

"She [Gibbons] has provided calm and serenity during this time, and given us time to grieve," Davis said."She is also well qualified to help us with the search process."

Gibbons retired as superintendent of the Renton School District in June 2006 after serving nine years there. Before that, Gibbons spent six years as superintendent of schools in Mount Vernon.

The board will probably conduct a national search for superintendent candidates, Davis said. The district is feeling some pressure to find applicants since other large districts in the state, including Tacoma and Spokane, are also looking for superintendents, Davis said.

The board hopes to begin interviewing candidates in the spring, and the district will seek comments from parents, staff and the community, Davis said. A new superintendent should be named by the end of the school year, when Gibbons' contract ends. Gibbons does not plan to apply for the position, according to a district statement.

The district is following the timeline that Forys laid out, Davis said.

"Early on in Karen's illness, we sat down and developed a game plan that had clearly outlined steps," Davis said. "Now, the board and the community need to define what we are looking for. Are we looking for some of the same qualities as Karen, or do we want a different path?"

The Northshore School District will hold a memorial service for Forys at 3 p.m. on Sunday at the Northshore Performing Arts Center at Bothell High School, 18125 92nd Avenue N.E., Bothell. Those attending the event are asked to bring a new children's book that will be donated to the district's schools in her honor.

Rachel Tuinstra: 206-515-5637 or rtuinstra@seattletimes.com