THIEF RIVER FALLS --- The Thief River Falls School Board is working to find their next superintendent.
A special board meeting was held Friday morning to accept the resignation of Superintendent Laine Larson, who recently agreed to a superintendent job in Brainerd, Minn. , board members said. Her last day will be June 30.
The board plans to send out a request for proposals from search firms, as well as discuss its next step, with the full School Board March 14, the date of its next regular meeting, Chairman Mike Spears said.
Larson took the job in Brainerd to be closer to her daughters, Spears said.
"We had a good seven years with her," he said.
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The Brainerd School Board selected her last week after interviewing three finalists, which included Deb Olson, superintendent of Clinton (Iowa) Community School District and Tim Mitchell, superintendent of the Rapid City (S.D.) Area School District.
After two anonymous polls, the board considered Olson and Larson, whom one board member described as a "slam dunk" after the first round of interviews. Toni Johns from School Exec Connect, a consultant company handling the job search for the district, told the Brainerd Dispatch the first round of polling indicated board members were more interested in Olson, but Larson was a favorite among all board members because of the strong first impression she made-they described her as earnest, sincere and genuine.
Board members complimented Larson's communication skills, experience passing a bond referendum and popularity in the Thief River Falls community.
The Brainerd School Board approved Larson's contract on Friday. The school did not release Larson's salary as she had not signed the contract as of Friday.
Larson did not return a call for comment.
Spears said the board hopes to hold superintendent interviews by mid-April and hire someone by early May so the successful candidate can get acquainted with the district before school ends.
