KELLOGG - The position of superintendent is once again open in the Kellogg School District after Lance Pearson was unable to get out of his current contract.

Pearson, the superintendent for Victor Public Schools in Victor, Montana, had accepted the job last month after beating out current KSD curriculum director Nancy Larsen for the position.

Pearson contacted Kellogg School Board chairman Art Krulitz on Wednesday to give him the details as to why he couldn’t take the position. “I informed Art (Krulitz) yesterday (Wednesday) that on Monday night the Victor School Board voted unanimously not to let me out of my contract,” Pearson said. “I am finishing the first year of a three year contract and when I applied at Kellogg, things were pretty stable in Victor. Since then, several key employees have retired or found another job and the Victor School Board felt like my exodus would be severely detrimental to the students of Victor. My contract says we must ‘mutually agree’ to terminate it. Although I was disappointed in their decision, I actually understand their position and do not hold any animosity towards them.”

Victor Public School also lost their current K through 8 principal to a superintendent job in Darby, Montana. Pearson was remorseful for the situation that he left the Kellogg School District in, but also believes that Chairman Krulitz will be able to navigate the situation. “I do feel as if I have left the Kellogg School District in a precarious situation and expressed my frustration with Art,” Pearson said. “Art seems to have a good handle on it and some plans to move forward. To the kind people of Kellogg, I offer my most sincere apology.”

At this time there are plans for the Kellogg School Board to meet next week to figure out where this leaves them in their superintendent search.

Of their original four candidates, two withdrew their names prior to the board’s decision to offer the job to Pearson, there is no word on if the job will be defaultly offered to Larsen following this news.

The Shoshone News Press will continue to update this developing story as more information becomes available.