COEUR d’ALENE — The search for a new Coeur d'Alene School District superintendent has been narrowed to two.

Coeur d'Alene's own assistant superintendent of elementary education and instruction, Kate Orozco, and Shon Hocker, superintendent of Dickinson Public Schools in Dickinson, N.D., were announced Thursday as the two finalists.

Orozco has been director of elementary education, then assistant superintendent of elementary education and instruction, since 2015.

The Coeur d’Alene district has 10,000 students and 1,350 staff. Prior to that, Orozco was superintendent of Whitefish School District in Whitefish, Mont., from 2011 to 2015.

She received her doctorate in leadership studies from Gonzaga University in 2005 and her master’s degree from Gonzaga in 1994.

"I carry the belief and conviction that if our students are to develop the Portrait of a Graduate characteristics that adequately prepare them for their future, then we must continue to improve and work together to create the learning conditions that develop these skills and dispositions in our students,” Orozco said.

Hocker has been superintendent of Dickinson Public Schools since 2018. His district has 4,500 students and 650 staff members. He was superintendent of the Big Horn School District in Cowley, Wyo., from 2007 to 2018. Hocker received his doctorate in educational leadership from Idaho State University in 2016 and his master’s degree from ISU in 1999.

“I embrace the opportunity to be in a learning environment where everyone pursues knowledge and has the opportunity to learn from diverse and enriching relationships," he said. "I am blessed with an ability to love and understand people and what motivates them."

The Coeur d'Alene School Board will interview the candidates next Thursday and Friday. Chairwoman Jen Brumley said the board feels very fortunate to have two excellent candidates.

"Kate has clear roots here in Coeur d'Alene. Shon is from Idaho and wants to return. Both candidates are experienced and have students at the forefront of everything they do," Brumley said. "The board is looking forward to getting to know each candidate better. We are also looking forward to our staff and community getting a chance to meet them and share their thoughts."

Hocker and Orozco will also meet with district administrators, principals and teachers and will participate in a one-hour public forum to be live-streamed on the district's YouTube channel.

Two community members and a student will ask the same set of questions selected from public suggestions. Viewers will be able to provide comments on the candidates’ responses.

The public forum for both candidates will be next Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. Each candidate will have one hour. The public may tune in at www.youtube.com/c/cdaschools271 to watch the sessions.

Email [email protected] to submit a question to be considered for the public forum.

Feedback for the board on the public forum sessions may also be sent to [email protected] no later than 3 p.m. April 16.