January 2026 update
Boise
Boise trustees unanimously voted to interview only deputy superintendent Wendy Johnson for the district’s top administrative role.
The interview will be on Jan. 29 , when trustees will decide if they want Johnson to succeed superintendent Lisa Roberts, who announced her retirement at a regular board meeting in mid-January.
Johnson is currently the deputy superintendent of teaching and learning in the state’s second-largest district. She brings more than a decade of superintendent experience, having served as the Kuna School District’s superintendent for 12 years.
The district has at least eight times in a row promoted a deputy superintendent to the top job. Boise’s other deputy superintendent Nick Smith declined an opportunity to interview. He said his responsibilities as a father and desire to spend time with his family made the superintendency something he’s not ready to pursue.
Cassia
Cassia School District trustees will review applications and schedule interviews at a Monday, Jan. 26, board meeting.
The superintendency remains open for applications on the district’s website.
In December, the position had already received “a few applicants” and Superintendent Sandra Miller said she wanted time for candidates to apply.
Kuna
Five candidates submitted applications for superintendent of the Kuna School District as of a Jan. 13 board meeting.
After the job opening closes at the end of January, Idaho School Board Association representatives will allow trustees to view candidates. The board plans to choose semifinalists or finalists in February and make a decision in March.
Idaho School Board Association representative Katie Russell told trustees she expects more candidates to submit applications as the Jan. 31 closing date approaches. She stressed her impartiality in the process, explaining that she doesn’t weed out or remove any candidates herself.
“The ISBA staff … we don’t live in or work in the district and don’t feel we are best suited to decide who is right for the district. Instead, we provide the board with as much information as possible about each candidate so the board feels empowered to make the best decision for the district.”
Caldwell
Caldwell’s Jan. 12 board meeting did not contain an update on the board’s search. The board hired the Idaho School Board Association to perform the search.
Genesee
A job posting on ISBA’s website for superintendent of the Genesee School District closed Jan. 12. It received seven applications, Genesee board clerk Melissa Lindquist told EdNews.
The board is scheduling interviews and hopes to hire a superintendent by Feb. 11.
The district is searching for a replacement after former superintendent Wendy Moore resigned in November.
Whitepine
A job listing for superintendent of the Whitepine School District appeared on the Idaho School Board Association’s website this month.
It asks applicants to submit a cover letter, including their philosophy and reason for interest, and an essay detailing “a system in our district that provides the best in state education to our students.”
The application window closes Feb. 13, and trustees will perform interviews between February and March, according to the district’s brochure.
Aberdeen
A job listing for Aberdeen’s superintendent role also appeared on the Idaho School Board Association’s website in December.
The board is waiting for the application to close because ISBA conceals candidates during the application window. Once it closes, trustees are given the list of candidates organized randomly to put them all on equal footing.
Hagerman
An opening for the superintendent position at Hagerman School District has received 6 applications so far, Russell told Hagerman trustees at their regular Jan. 19 board meeting.
The job opening asks applicants to answer two out of five essay questions. The position closes Feb. 15.
Hagerman’s previous superintendent, James Brown, resigned following allegations that students witnessed him using a shower at the Hagerman Junior/Senior High School.
He was placed on paid leave by the district’s board and issued a reprimand letter by the state Professional Standards Commission before resigning in March 2025.
December update
Updated Dec. 17 with details about Caldwell’s search
Cassia
A job posting for superintendent of Cassia County School District has received a “few applicants,” said current superintendent Sandra Miller.
The district’s board will meet to determine what questions it will ask the applicants later this month.
Miller plans to retire after the academic year, concluding her 39-year career.
Caldwell
The Caldwell School Board’s search to replace outgoing superintendent Shalene French resulted in a job posting last week.
At a special board meeting Monday, Dec. 15, trustees planned to hold a public forum when they announce their final candidates in the spring.
Board chair Travis Manning expressed concerns about the legal requirement to publicly disclose the four finalists’ names, asking an Idaho School Boards Association representative conducting the search how much information must be public.
The representative confirmed the district must reveal the finalists’ names.
Genesee
Genesee superintendent Wendy Moore resigned in November, and will take on a superintendent job in Michigan to be closer to family after her husband died this summer. The Genesee School District hopes to hire a new superintendent by February.
The district hired ISBA to perform the search, and the job opening is available on ISBA’s website.
Moore also directed the Idaho Department of Education’s North Idaho Regional Support Center.
Kuna
Kuna School District’s superintendent job listing is also available on ISBA’s website.
Last month, Kuna trustees discussed essay questions, but they won’t settle on a final essay question until February.
October update
Cassia
Cassia School District superintendent Sandra Miller plans to retire after the academic year and a 39-year career.
Cassia will initiate its search for a replacement in-house, with a February 2026 deadline to start interviewing candidates.
In November, Cassia’s board plans to issue its community a survey with open-ended and multiple-choice responses.
The board also plans to publish the job opening in November, Miller told Idaho Education News. She wants to give “ample time” for people to apply.
Applicants from across the country will also be invited to apply through mainstream job posting services like Indeed, Miller said.
Kuna
Kuna trustees scheduled a special meeting in November to discuss their superintendent search. They reviewed results from a community survey at a Tuesday, Oct. 14, board meeting.
The survey, conducted by the Idaho School Board Association, got responses from 238 parents, faculty, students and constituents. It was part of the $8,750 package Kuna hired ISBA to provide.
Respondents, who are anonymous in the survey, could write answers to open-ended questions in addition to answering multiple-choice questions.
Some common themes emerged.
About eight respondents expressed desires for a superintendent to focus on students with special and unique needs.
“A common topic of conversation is the frustration parents have when it comes to getting the district to follow their students’ (Individual Education Plans),” one respondent said.
“I would like a superintendent who would be willing to look into why special education in this district is struggling to meet these students’ needs.”
About a dozen respondents asked for transparency or communication.
“There is a skewed perception of the superintendent office. Transparency is key,” a respondent said.
The board’s timeline sets a March 2026 goal for hiring a new leader.
Caldwell
Caldwell school board trustees voted to hire Idaho School Boards Association’s superintendent search services at a Monday, Oct. 13, board meeting.
Caldwell trustees hired ISBA for a $9,750 package that provides marketing services, a full superintendent search and a team-building workshop.
Caldwell trustees scheduled a work session for Monday, Oct. 27, to discuss their superintendent search.
