Decision due in superintendent selection

The worst thing school board representatives said they heard about superintendent candidate Carol Lark in their investigative trip to Las Vegas was that she has high expectations.

The search for a new Douglas County school superintendent is in the final stages and the school board will decide Tuesday whether Lark will be John Soderman's successor.

As part of the selection process for a new school superintendent, a team of nine people went to Las Vegas Jan. 30 to check out Lark on her own turf. Lark is assistant superintendent of the Southeast Region of the Clark County School District in Las Vegas.

Douglas County School Board president Connie Wennhold, board members Cynthia Trigg, Keith Roman, John Louritt, Soderman, as well as a teacher, a principal, a district classified employee and a community member were the team selected to verify what they heard from Lark in her job interviews.

Wennhold said the team met with Lark's co-workers in the district office as well as former employees and peers.

"We had a lot of different people to interview and talk to in Las Vegas," Wennhold said. "It was a great experience to find out how wonderful this woman is. She's sincere in her wish to come here to be superintendent. She was open, a good listener, a hard worker and someone who gets things done."

On Tuesday the school board will discuss and decide if they want to hire Lark, contingent on a contract with her. Soderman said that Lark will be present at the meeting.

"The board has the chance to vote on whether or not they want to have Carol Lark as the new superintendent," said Soderman. "If they vote to go ahead with her, they will recess to executive session to work out the terms of contract that have to be voted on in public session. Then hopefully we'll have a new superintendent for the new school year," he said.

Soderman retires June 30 and the new superintendent starts work the next day.

The school board meets at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in Douglas High School's media center. For more information, call the district office at 782-5134.