Four candidates will be interviewed for the Kalispell Public Schools superintendent position.

The school board announced the finalists on Tuesday after extending the application period through Feb. 20 in hopes of widening the candidate pool. There were 11 total applicants for the position.

One finalist, Micah Hill, is currently the Glacier High School principal. The other finalists are Matthew Spets of Wisconsin, JT Stroder of Utah and Richard “Rick” Thompson of Washington.

Interviews will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on March 3 and from 4 to 7 p.m. on March 4 in the Flathead High School flex room located at 644 Fourth Ave. W. in Kalispell.

Hill became principal of Glacier in 2018. Prior to that, he was assistant principal and has served in different capacities within Kalispell Public Schools since 2001, including principal at Linderman School, dean of students and activities director for Kalispell Middle School and an English teacher at Flathead High School.

Hill has a master’s degree in educational leadership for grades kindergarten through 12th from the University of Montana, where he is currently seeking a superintendent endorsement. He has a bachelor’s degree in English and Reading from Montana State University.

Spets is assistant superintendent of operations of Howard-Suamico School District in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Prior to that he served as the superintendent of the School District of Flambeau in Tony, Wisconsin. He also has experience as an elementary principal for Northland Pines School District in Eagle River, Wisconsin; a kindergarten through 12th-grade principal with the Wakefield-Marenisco School District in Wakefield, Wisconsin; and an English teacher and coach with the School District of Maple, in Maple, Wisconsin.

Spets has a Doctor of Education degree from Edgewood College and a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University Wisconsin — Superior. He also obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in English and coaching from the University Wisconsin-Superior.

Stroder is superintendent of Grand County School District in Moab, Utah, and has previous experience working in Montana as superintendent of Gardiner Public Schools in Gardiner. He has also held a superintendent/principal positions in Ingram Independent School District in Ingram, Texas and Camas County School District in Fairfield, Idaho. Stroder was also principal/director of academics with Northwest Academy in Naples, Idaho.

Stroder is currently enrolled in the Montana State University Educational Leadership Program and is seeking a Doctor of Education degree from Montana State University. Stroder holds an educational specialist degree in educational leadership from the University of Idaho in addition to a master’s and a bachelor’s degree in education and education administration from Baylor University.

Stroder was also an applicant for the Kalispell Public superintendent position when it was available in 2013.

Thompson is superintendent of Chimacum School District in Chimacum, Washington. Thompson previously held positions as the superintendent, maintenance, alternative principal, and remote principal for San Juan Island School District in Friday Harbor, Washington.

He has also held positions as the director of student learning, acting superintendent, and superintendent of Lynden School District in Lynden, Washington; assistant to the superintendent, high school principal, and high school assistant principal with Franklin Pierce School District in Tacoma, Washington. Additionally, he served as middle school and kindergarten through eighth-grade principal with Cle Elum Rosalyn School District in Cle Elum, Washington.

Thompson holds a superintendent certificate, master’s degree in school administration and a Bachelor of Arts in English Education from Western Washington University.

Enrollment in Kalispell Public Schools is around 6,000 students. The district employs about 730 people.

The public is invited to meet the finalists at 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 2, in the Glacier High School commons located at 375 Wolfpack Way in Kalispell.

Trustees are looking for a successor to Mark Flatau, who is retiring from the Kalispell superintendent position at the end of June.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.