After a full day of interviews and deliberations on Saturday, the school board has selected three finalists for the superintendent position and will choose the next superintendent Thursday evening.

“It was a long day, but it went really well,” said board Chair Zabette Macomber about Saturday’s proceedings. We were all impressed with all the candidates. It was a very smart, thoughtful group of educators.”

From a field of six, the board — with public input, selected the following three people: Eric Hong, Shaun Carey and Slade McSheehy. All three hold doctorates in education. Hong is the school improvement officer in the Kent School District; Carey serves as the assistant superintendent at the Franklin Pierce School District just south of Tacoma, and McSheehy is the assistant superintendent at the Hockinson School District in Brush Prairie, Washington, which is in Clark County.

Evening community meetings were held Monday and Tuesday with two of the candidates, and the final candidate, McSheehy, will tour the schools and attend a meeting this evening, Wednesday. A session will meet between 6:45 and 7:15 p.m. for Spanish-speakers; a general meeting will follow between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m., both at the Vashon High School theater.

Macomber stressed the value of community input in this process and encouraged it with the evening meetings, where there will be comment cards available. The new superintendent will begin July 1.