Superintendent Finalists Answer Questions at Public Forum.

This is part one of a three-part story.

Hiring a new superintendent for SCSD#2 is a difficult decision. In November, Sheridan County School District No. 2 Superintendent of Schools Scott Stults announced his plan to retire at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.

Recently, the SCSD#2 Board of Trustees selected four finalists for the Superintendent position, Rebecca Adsit Assistant Superintendent for Instruction/Human Resources Sheridan County School District No. 2; Charles Christensen Superintendent of Schools Sheridan County School District No. 3; Scott Cleland Sheridan High School Principal Sheridan County School District No. 2, and Jennifer Strong Strategic Implementation Specialist Growth Collaborative Consulting, Oklahoma.

SCSD2 Board Chair Shane Rader said that “Following a comprehensive national search, we have identified an impressive pool of finalists who will now participate in a rigorous interview process. Our priority is to find a leader who embodies the integrity, trust, and approachability our district values.”

On Wednesday, February 4, district staff, students, parents, and members of the public participated in a Community Forum. This forum was also live streamed, and members of the public are encouraged to submit questions and comments about the finalists.

Mitch Craft, who was assistant superintendent in SHS for several years, was the moderator of the forum.

The finalists have completed rigorous interviews with four separate committees over several days. Candidates were urged to watch the timekeeper when speaking to only take the allotted amount of time.

Each candidate gave an introductory statement. First speaker was Scott Cleland. Cleland has spent 26 years in education, 16 of those have been spent in Sheridan, he taught for two years, and for 14 years he has been a principal in SCSD#2.

“I am standing up for the continued success of SCSD#2, Cleland added, “I do not need to study our culture, I’ve lived it.”

The next speaker was Rebecca Adsit. She quoted Plato, about discovering the genius within each student.

“I know the challenges were face,” Adsit said. “I want to maintain our tradition of excellence.”

Jennifer Strong had this statement.

“I’m looking forward to utilizing the best years of my education career giving back to the community that made me who I am.”

“I want to take SCSD#2 from being #1 district in the state to the top ten in the nation. That is my what I see for the future of SCSD#2.”

Chase Christensen said he started his journey in finance, then he was a teacher in Wheatland and a principal in Torrington. He has been superintendent SCSD#3 since 2022.

“I see a future where families are coming to Sheridan because it is the most fantastic education available,” he added.

Mitch Craft presented the candidates with the first question.

Rebecca Adsit was the first to answer the question.

Cleland talked about working with teachers on personal leave and working with employers in Sheridan County who hire students or graduates.

Chase Christensen added,

Jennifer Strong was looking into making sure SCSD#2 was prepared for the future.

In the next story we will look at two other questions that were asked of the candidates, and in part three will be the fourth question and the closing statements.

SCSD#2 encourages community members to comment on the candidates.