HPS Superintendent position offered to Brian Gum

After interviewing two candidates for the position of Havre Public Schools Superintendent the HPS Board of Trustees voted to offer a three-year contract to Stevensville High School Principal Brian Gum in a unanimous vote at a special meeting Thursday.

The position of superintendent has been open since October of last year, which saw the unexpected death of then-Superintendent Craig Muller at age 50.

Since then Assistant Superintendent Brad Moore has been interim-superintendent, but did not apply for the permanent position.

Board members as well as those who spoke during public comments said both candidates, Gum and Custer Public Schools Superintendent David Perkins, were highly qualified and performed well in interviews, but both agreed that Gum was a better fit for the district.

Havre High School History Teacher Lindsey Ratliff, speaking on behalf of the Havre Education Association, said that they were impressed with Perkins' experience and credentials, as well as his ability to make difficult choices.

She said Gum detailed a range of ideas to improve community involvement and demonstrated devotion to student success, talking about his accomplishments in improving graduation rates in previous districts in detail and providing a clear vision for what he wants to do at HPS.

She said the two talked a lot about collaboration, but overall they are more excited by the prospect of Gum as a superintendent.

These sentiments were echoed by other public commenters who all said they were impressed by both but thought Gum stood out and seemed like the better choice for the district.

The board voted unanimously to offer the contract to Gum for 3 years with the first year's salary set at $120,000 with the opportunity for negotiation in succeeding years.