Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
The Colton school board named its new superintendent April 30. Paul Clark, the current principal of Curlew School, accepted the offer and will start in Colton on July 1.
Clark has been principal of Curlew since July 2015 and previously spent five years as a teacher and principal in Alaska and worked as an elementary school French and Spanish teacher at St. George’s School in Spokane.
“He’s a contemporary educator, he’s a decisive, goal-oriented individual who will continue to lead our school in the right direction,” said Jana Schultheis, Colton school board president.
The board evaluated 10 candidates, working with consultant Michael Dunn, superintendent of the Spokane Educational Service District 101, which helped with the search. On April 24, two candidates visited the school for a series of interviews beginning in the morning, followed by a group lunch.
Residents met with them, then faculty, then the school board. A third candidate who could not be on site was interviewed over Skype.
The board later discussed what they saw and heard and came to a consensus, a unanimous decision to make an offer to Clark – who has a Masters in Teaching and Masters in Education from Whitworth University. He also went to Whitworth for his undergraduate work, graduating in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts in French.
In 2009, he got a 10-year-service pin with the Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol.
“Paul Clark carefully researched our district prior to his interview and through all the different phases of the interview process,” said Schultheis. “He reflected his action-oriented methodology to leadership with vision, integrity and effective communication.”
Clark will succeed Nate Smith, who has served as Colton’s superintendent and high school principal for the past seven years. He is returning to Grangeville, Idaho, to work in his father-in-law’s ranching and property management business.
Arriving in Colton in 2004 as a K-12 principal, Smith later worked as athletic director before being named the junior/senior high school principal and district superintendent.
“We wish Nate a bright future and look forward to passing the baton to Paul to continue his good work,” said Schultheis.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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