Forums aid superintendent search

Approximately 100 members of the community, including numerous school personnel, participated in recent public forums to aid in the search for a new superintendent for the Pawhuska School District.

Stephanie Hyder, director of the Oklahoma State School Board Association’s Strategic Initiatives and Executive Search Services, was in town to conduct the four Thursday forums.

Held at the Community Center, the high school and the Administration Building, the gatherings were designed to assist the district in its search process to hire a new school district superintendent. Attendees provided input regarding qualifications and characteristics deemed most important for the next superintendent.

Dr. Landon Berry, the local superintendent since July 2012, announced in February that he will be leaving the local district when the current academic year concludes at the end of June. Berry’s departure is for family reasons. He’s returning to his hometown, where he will become superintendent of the Porum School District.

The OSSBA also assisted the Pawhuska Board of Education four years ago prior to its hiring of Berry, who had previously been superintendent of the Haskell Public Schools

Persons interested in assisting with the search for a new superintendent are encouraged to complete the OSSBA survey form available on the Pawhuska Public Schools website. The direct link to the survey is: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PawhuskaSuptSearch

VAL-SAL HONOREES

School District officials recently announced the valedictorian and salutatorian for the Pawhuska High School Class of 2016.

Karissa Hughes has been named as the valedictorian and Stephanie Clifton is the salutatorian. (Additional information about the honorees will be forthcoming.) The annual Val-Sal Dinner to honor the students is to be held on Monday, March 23.

Commencement exercises for the PHS Class of 2016 are scheduled for Friday, May 27.