PORT TOWNSEND — After an intense, compressed search for a successor to Tom Opstad, the Port Townsend School Board on Thursday night chose to appoint an interim superintendent for the next school year instead of selecting either of two finalists for the post.

“While the candidates were very worthy, neither was the right one,” said Bobby DuBois, board president.

“The board felt that not enough time was available to perform a fully comprehensive search.”

DuBois said that the board would meet soon to determine who is available to serve as an interim superintendent.

He would not comment upon whether the recruitment would be from within the district or from outside.

The board had met in executive session Tuesday night to choose between the two finalists: Thomas Churchill, 48, superintendent of the Hood Canal School District in Shelton, and Mellody Matthes, 50, executive director of human resources for the Oak Harbor School District on Whidbey Island.

It adjourned after more than two hours without making a choice and announced it would pick up where it left off on Thursday evening.

At that meeting, the board took another hour to choose the interim solution, a decision that DuBois said was unanimous.

Search in September

DuBois said the search for a permanent superintendent would begin in September and continue through the school year.

“I am told that the fall is the best time to start searching for a new superintendent,” DuBois said.

Opstad announced in March his intention to become superintendent of the Aberdeen district after serving in Port Townsend for five years.

The Port Townsend hired consultant John Fotheringham to lead the search for a replacement.

The 24 candidates were whittled down to six and then to three.

One dropped out, leaving Churchill and Matthes.

Churchill and Matthes followed identical schedules Monday and Tuesday, first with a facilities tour, meetings with administrators, elected officials, staff and in an open public meeting where they fielded questions.

Participants at each meeting filled out feedback forms, which were considered by the board in making their decision.

At the close of Thursday’s meeting DuBois contacted Fotheringham, who was charged with notifying Churchill and Matthes of the board’s decision.

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Jefferson County reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.