West Fargo School Board: Flowers chosen as next superintendent

Today (Friday, April 30) Huthinson (Kan.) superintendent David Flowers was picked as West Fargo's next superintendent.

The former Fargo superintendent accepted the position shortly following the meeting. He succeeds current West Fargo superintendent Dr. Dana Diesel Wallace, who has been with the district since 2006, and announced her resignation last December. Flowers is expected to start July 1 at West Fargo.

According to a press release from the West Fargo School District, details on Flower's contract will not be released until board approval next week.

Flowers was one of the West Fargo School District's final three candidates, including Perham-Dent (Minn.) Superintendent Tamara Uselman and current West Fargo Assistant Superintendent Louise Dardis. After numerically ranking the candidates, Dardis was eliminated from the final discussion, leaving only Uselman and Flowers.

For a time, the decision was split nearly down the middle, with Board President Tom Gentzkow and board member Duane Hanson "straddling the fence." Members Ben Koppelman and Kay Kiefer supported Uselman, whereas Patti Stedman, Karen Nitzkorski and Angela Korsmo argued for Flowers.

After a brief recess around 11 a.m., the board reconvened and held a vote. In a 6-to-1 favors, Flowers was picked as the finalist, with only Koppelman voting in favor of Uselman.

For complete details and updates from West Fargo's superintendent search, check out the May 5 edition of the West Fargo Pioneer.