The Ferndale School District Board of Directors has selected three finalists for Superintendent: Dr. John Parker, Dana Rosenbach, and Dr. Kristi Dominguez. The three finalists will each spend a day in the district this week, meeting with staff, students, and community members, followed by a final interview with board members in executive session.  

The board expects to announce the new superintendent in an open public meeting after deliberations on Friday, March 25 at Mountain View Learning Center. The board interviewed six candidates on Saturday, March 19, and chose the top three based on leadership qualities, breadth of experience, and proven commitment to students and equity. Approximately 100 community members attended the interviews throughout the day in a combination of in-person and virtual attendance. Attendees were given the opportunity to provide input through feedback forms.  

“We are grateful to have a good field of candidates to choose from which made our decision difficult,” said board president Dr. Kevin Erickson. “We appreciate the community’s input through process. We feel we chose the three top candidates based on experience, leadership skills, and their commitment to empowering all students.” 

Candidate district visits: 

March 21- Dr. John Parker 

March 23- Dana Rosenbach 

March 24- Dr. Kristi Dominguez 

Candidate bios can be found on the district superintendent search page.  

The community is invited to attend public forums with each candidate on March 21, 23, and 24 at 6:00 p.m. in the Horizon Middle School Commons, 2671 Thornton Road. There will be a virtual option as well. Attendees will be given the opportunity to ask the candidates questions and provide feedback for the board to consider.  

“We are looking forward to the final stretch in the interview process and encourage all stakeholders to provide additional feedback as we complete the process in selecting the next superintendent for our district,” said Erickson.  

The superintendent oversees the day-to-day operations of the Ferndale School District, including management of its $80 million budget, approximately 600 employees, nine schools, and numerous programs and partnerships. The new superintendent will take over on July 1 from Interim Superintendent, Mark Deebach, who was appointed after Superintendent Dr. Linda Quinn retired in October 2021.