School board trustees in Blaine County chose a new superintendent Thursday night, marking a new chapter for the school district, which has dealt with several controversies in the past few years.
Trustees unanimously voted for James Foudy, the current superintendent of the McCall-Donnelly School District in McCall. They liked his experience in another small resort community.
“Blaine County School District has an incredible history," Foudy said after the vote, "founded on the premise of taking care of every single student.”
He replaces former superintendent GwenCarol Holmes, who had planned on resigning in June, but suddenly stepped down seven months early in November.
Holmes was the highest-paid superintendent in the state and a survey last year found the community was largely dissatisfied with her. During her tenure, the school district was the subject of lawsuits by former employees and students and the board saw frequent turnover.
There was also the challenge of equity and narrowing the achievement gap between Hispanic and white students.
Board Chair Keith Roark said that’s a reason some community members favored the other finalist Heather Sanchez, the Executive Director of Schools for the district in Bellevue, Washington. But Roark and the other board members believe Foudy is up to that task, too.
“He may not have articulated it in the same way that Ms. Sanchez did, but he is committed," Roark said.
Foudy will start the job in July of this year on a two-year contract and with a salary of $168,000 per year.
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