Summerland board announces superintendent candidates

Summerland Public School Board of Education will interview four candidates to fill the superintendent's position beginning Monday, Feb. 8.

Candidates, narrowed from a field of 17 applicants, were announced during a Feb. 3 special meeting, in Ewing.

Kyle Finke, elementary principal at Battle Creek Public Schools, will interview Monday. A Peru State graduate, Finke earned a Masters of Education 7-12, from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, in 2003 and added PK-8 in 2006.

Finke earned an education specialist degree from Wayne State College in 2010.

He has lived in Battle Creek since 2005, teaching junior and senior high school business. Since 2006, Finke has served as elementary principal in the Battle Creek school system.

He also taught at Southeast Nebraska Consolidated School and Wausa Public Schools.

On Tuesday, Feb. 9, Kevin Finkey, current superintendent of Sumner-Eddyville-Miller School will be interviewed.

Finkey earned a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science degrees from Chadron State College. In 2014, he earned a specialist degree from the University of South Dakota.

He former served as principal, from 2011 through 2015, at Santee Community Schools.

Lori Liggett, who serves as superintendent at Gordon-Rushville Public School, will interview Wednesday, Feb. 10.

Liggett earned a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from Chadron State College and an education specialist degree from Wayne State College.

In addition to serving as superintendent, Liggett has served as high school principal, activity director and a classroom teacher in the Gordon-Rushville System.

Prior to that, she taught in a self-contained classroom in a rural school in Cherry County.

Dr. Joel Applegate, Oberlin USD 294 superintendent of school, in Oberlin, Kansas, will interview on Thursday, Feb. 11.

Applegate earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Kansas State University and a Master of Arts degree from Wichita State University. In 2017, he earned a doctorate from Kansas State University.

Prior to serving the Oberlin school system, Applegate served as director of secondary schools for the Liberal, Kansas, District USD 480; superintendent at Cozad Community Schools and superintendent and pre-kindergarten - sixth grade principal at Dighton USD 482, in Dighton, Kansas.

Interviews will be held at Summerland Golf Course. Candidates will meet with students certified staff, support staff, building principals and community members. Each candidate will tour the three communities. Ewing site principal Greg Appleby will conduct the tours.

After a meal with each candidate, a formal interview will take place.

Interviews with various stakeholder groups will begin at 9:45 a.m., except on Thursday, which will begin at 8 a.m.

Following Thursday's final interview, board members will deliberate and may make an offer that evening.

The new superintendent will present a transition plan to replace current superintendent Dale Martin, whose contract expires June 30.

Martin announced his retirement during a Nov. 23, 2020, special meeting.

McPherson & Jacobson, LLC, representatives announced three of the 17 applicants for the position withdrew after accepting other positions.

Eight applicants had previous superintendent experience, including four from Nebraska, one from Kansas, one from Montana, one from Kentucky and one from Pennsylvania.