27 applicants from 15 states now down to 2 finalists
By Eric Valentine
And then there were two.
After months of searching for superintendent GwenCarol Holmes’ replacement during 2020, the first month of 2021 could be when Blaine County School District trustees name him or her.
“The board made its decision after carefully considering 27 applicants from 15 states. We then narrowed the field and conducted interviews with five semifinalists on December 9 and 10,” trustees said in a press release on the matter.
According to the district, the finalists will visit in January to meet with the community, tour the schools and speak with and take questions from administrators, teachers and classified staff. They will also meet one on one with the individual trustees and with the board as a whole. Following these visits, the board will take public comment and make its final decision. The board anticipates final selection of the new district superintendent sometime in January. The new superintendent will assume office on July 1, 2021—the date which initially was when Holmes would step down. However, in November, Holmes submitted her resignation effective immediately.
The finalists are James Foudy and Heather Sanchez. Foudy is superintendent of the McCall-Donnelly School District in McCall, Idaho. Sanchez currently serves as executive director of Schools for the Bellevue School District in Washington. Once dates and details for the community meetups are determined, Wood River Weekly will publish them in print and online. What follows here are the candidates’ bios.
Mr. James Foudy
Superintendent James Foudy began his career with the Boise School District in 1996 as an elementary teacher. In 2003, he became an administrator with the McCall-Donnelly School District, as the elementary principal for Donnelly and McCall Elementary Schools. Since 2015, Mr. Foudy has served as superintendent of the McCall-Donnelly School District.
The McCall-Donnelly School District is nationally recognized for its student achievement and perennially performs in the top 10 percent of school districts in Idaho.
In 2004, as elementary principal, Mr. Foudy established a K-5 reading intervention system that included a full-day kindergarten model. This model thrived and contributed to a foundation of high academic achievement that continues today.
From 2015 to 2018, he worked with a local facilities team, students and staff at McCall-Donnelly’s alternative school to design and construct a facility that serves students at Heartland High School today. The permanent facility was designed with extensive input from students.
Superintendent Foudy holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Boise State University (BSU), a Master of Educational Administration from the University of Idaho (UI) and an Education Specialist, Education Leadership degree from UI.
In his spare time, Mr. Foudy and his wife, Alison, love spending time with their children, friends and family in the mountains. They enjoy the four distinctive mountain seasons, traveling and the arts. Foudy’s wife has a passion for art history, and for nearly 15 years has been introducing Jim to the arts and its many facets.
Ms. Heather Sánchez
Heather Sánchez has served in preK-12 public education for more than 20 years and has served in a variety of roles at both the elementary and secondary levels to include classroom teacher, program coordinator, instructional specialist, building principal and central office administrator.
She currently serves as an executive director of schools for the Bellevue School District in Bellevue, Washington, where she provides support and supervision for nine schools, as well as being responsible for implementation of key components of the district’s strategic plan and priority goals. In her current role, Ms. Sánchez regularly partners with families, school staff and community members to ensure a culture of service and improved outcomes for all students.
Ms. Sánchez previously served as a director of accelerated programs, choice and innovation, where her focus was on improving access to outcomes for a wide variety of K-12 Accelerated Programs, including GATE, Advanced Placement and Early College in the High School. She has also served as an elementary building principal for a diverse range of schools that included Dual-Language, Title I Services and STEM programs. Earlier in her career, Ms. Sánchez served as both a teacher on special assignment (TOSA) and director for professional development, as well as a classroom teacher at the secondary level.
Holding a B.S. in Secondary Education from Western New Mexico University (WNMU), an M.S. in Curriculum & Instruction and K-12 Principal Credential from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS) and a K-12 Superintendent Credential from Seattle Pacific University (SPU), Ms. Sánchez is also in the process of completing her Ed.D. degree from SPU.
Originally from New Mexico, Ms. Sánchez is passionate about celebrating cultural and linguistic diversity and in ensuring all students have the opportunity to experience a rigorous and enriching school experience.
In her free time, Ms. Sánchez enjoys spending time with her husband, César (a high school science teacher), and their three children. The family are avid skiers and also enjoy camping, hiking, biking, fishing and all the great outdoors has to offer.