POLSON — Four candidates for the Polson High School principal position visited town last week.

The men, three from Montana and one from Oshkosh, Wis., were given tours, interviewed and present at two meet and greet sessions at the high school.

An integral part of the hiring process came from feedback the district received from the community through Internet surveys. Many of the formal interview questions for the candidates were developed using the survey information, superintendent David Whitesell said

About 140 surveys were completed, coming from a mix of residents, staff and students.

Eighteen students responded, Whitesell said. He had hoped for more from the student body.

Top candidates would possess  the ability to effectively address the dropout rate, foster a stronger connection between the four schools in the district and concentrate on addressing the school’s continuing work on improvement to meet the Office of Public Instruction’s No Child Left Behind standards.

These priorities were also helped to be developed using survey feedback, Whitesell said.

Rob Hankins, the superintendent in Simms, Jim Howard, a principal in Fort Benton, Thom Peck, a principal in Three Forks and Tom Wissink, a high school assistant principal in Oshkosh, Wis., will be interviewed. Many applicants were from Montana, Whitesell said. One application did come in from China.

Longtime principal Rick Rafter retired late last summer. District curriculum director Bill Appleton took over as interim principal for the 2009-10 school year. 

Whitesell hopes to have a recommendation to the board of trustees by the next meeting.

A contract for the chosen candidate would begin two weeks before the 2010-11 school year begins.