Dist. 41 superintendent a finalist for job near Seattle
Glen Ellyn Elementary District 41 Superintendent Paul Gordon may be casting a wide net for a new job.
Gordon has been named one of three finalists for the top administrative post in a school district near Seattle, Washington.
Last month, the District 41 school board learned Gordon was a front-runner for a superintendent's position he didn't get in his home state of Colorado.
At the time, Gordon - who has two years left on his contract - pledged to keep his "sole focus" on leading District 41.
But on Wednesday, the Mercer Island school board is expected to hold a forum with Gordon and two other candidates vying to succeed Superintendent Gary Plano, who is retiring June 30.
In a statement released through a District 41 spokeswoman, Gordon said he remains "dedicated" to students, families and staff and would not comment further.
"Exploring an opportunity and being a finalist for a position does not change my commitment to our district," the statement read. "I continue to be honored to serve District 41."
Gordon did not notify the full board that he is a finalist, President Stephanie Clark said. The Mercer Island district announced the three contenders for the position Monday.
Gordon's uncertain future in Glen Ellyn comes as the district prepares for building projects in all five schools after voters approved a $24.2 million borrowing request in April. His potential departure also looms over a school board with four new members who were elected in April.
Gordon now makes $224,783 a year after receiving a 2.6 percent merit pay raise and a $9,600 bonus tied to performance goals in May. The Mercer Island position would offer a salary of roughly $230,000.
The school board there hired Ray and Associates Inc. in March to recruit candidates. That's the same firm District 41 used in a national search for a superintendent that resulted in Gordon's hiring in 2013.
Ray and Associates also screened applicants for the superintendent's position that Gordon didn't get in the second-largest school district in Colorado. Jeffco Public Schools instead selected a Colorado superintendent in early May to take the helm of the 86,000-student district.
Gordon previously served as a chief academic officer in a district in suburban Denver. He told the District 41 board he was asked to interview for the Jeffco position, calling it a "great opportunity" to go back home.
"And was I honored that I didn't apply for this job, that people reached out to me and said, 'You know what? You're pretty good. You're pretty good,'" Gordon said last month. "I'm not good enough to get the job. I was number two. I was number two, but I own that. You know it is what it is. Only one person gets jobs."
Mercer Island officials have reviewed 64 applications. The deadline to apply closed June 6, according to a timeline of the search on the district's website.
Gordon holds bachelor's degree in secondary education from Metropolitan State University; a master's degree in education in administration and supervision from University of Phoenix; and a doctorate of education from Fielding Graduate University.
Gordon and his wife have a son and a daughter who attend DePaul University in Chicago and University of Kansas, respectively.