School board members are set to choose the new Juneau School District superintendent on Wednesday.
On Monday night, the three finalists for the position answered questions from the school board and the public.
Board President Deedie Sorensen moderated the forum, which was held at the Thunder Mountain High School library. Candidates were interviewed individually, and audience members submitted written questions.
Frank Hauser, who has been the superintendent of the Sitka School District since 2021, highlighted his familiarity with Alaska’s school funding system. He said he’s felt the effects of flat-funding from the state as an administrator in Anchorage and now as a superintendent in Sitka.
“Just last week, I sat on the phone for five hours waiting to testify in support of HB 65 – an increase to the base student allocation – because I understand how important increased funding is for the districts,” he said. “I understand because I’ve been living it.”
When asked about a time he faced opposition for a decision, Hauser spoke about bringing Sitka students back to full-time, in-person learning in the fall of 2021. He said he had to balance safety concerns with the risk of further learning loss.
“It was definitely a challenge, and I did take some heat for that decision,” he said.
Carlee Simon was the second candidate interviewed. She used her introduction to talk about her time as superintendent of Alachua County Public Schools, where she defied Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ban on school mask mandates.
“I lost that position because the governor removed one of our board members, put in an appointee, and 14 months after my position started, I was removed,” she said.
When asked about supporting vulnerable students, Simon discussed working with organizations like Equality Florida to create a support guide for LGBTQ+ students. Florida’s Department of Education told the Alachua County district to remove the guide after the state passed its Parental Rights in Education Act, often called the “Don’t Say Gay” law.
She also spoke about her experience studying school finance.
“I’m very comfortable talking about budgets, I’m very comfortable talking about financial needs, and I’m very comfortable advocating,” she said.
The third candidate, Thom Peck, is superintendent of Lewistown Public Schools in Montana. He said Lewistown’s distance from bigger cities and its tight-knit community make it similar to Juneau.
“A superintendent needs to be visible,” he said. “Every school event, every spelling bee, every music concert, every activity, I’m there.”
When asked about how he would handle district finances, Peck said that his “first budget concern” was the fact that the City and Borough of Juneau owns district buildings.
“That is weird to me,” he said. “I’m not used to that at all. I think where I would start is actually forming a really strong partnership with the city.”
The city has sent the maximum allowable amount of local funding to the school district each year for more than a decade. City leaders are considering contributing an additional $2.5 million this year.
The school board is interviewing the three candidates at the library on Tuesday before making their decision Wednesday.
