Jeb Bladine: Does search continue, or superintendent found?
McMinnville School Board meets Monday to answer this question: Do they continue the search, or have they already found their next District 40 school superintendent?
The board reportedly is almost evenly split, but perhaps not for the right reasons.
In April, the N-R editorial board commented about shortcomings in the evaluation process for 2021 hiring of Superintendent Debbie Brockett, who was fired in April 2025. Some board members shared that belief, and promised a more open, nationwide search for candidates this time around.
That was before Kourtney Ferrua — after a search involving consultants, 26 candidates, community input and board interviews of finalists — surfaced as the clear choice to become interim superintendent. If, after six months in office, Ferrua has proved herself an excellent personal and professional fit for the job, board members would be forgiven the change of heart about requiring another nationwide search.
For transparency’s sake, I don’t know Dr. Ferrua well. However, I can think back on 92 combined years of family experience in District 40 classrooms, and I’ve browsed 91 N-R articles by and about her published since 2006.
That, by the way, was one year before Ferrua became a District 40 kindergarten teacher in the same Cook School classroom she attended in the early 1980s.
Board members have all that information, and more, at their fingertips. But let’s review briefly:
Graduate of McMinnville High School, University of San Francisco (bachelor's in psychology), Portland State University (master's in teaching elementary) and the University of Oregon (doctorate of education); McMinnville kindergarten teacher (2007); Wascher Elementary principal (2013); Oregon Principal of the Year and Nationally Distinguished Principal (2019); District 40 curriculum director (2019); co-author of acclaimed book on “key ingredients to finding balance as a school leader” (2020); finalist in superintendent searches by two Oregon school districts (2025); District 40 interim superintendent (June 2025); long-time McMinnville spouse, mom and community volunteer.
Personal bios definitely can be instructive in filling an important position, but not necessarily conclusive. Among those 91 articles I found another clue:
Our April 2021 newspaper story — describing the qualities McMinnville School Board was seeking in a replacement for long-time superintendent Maryalice Russell — read almost as if it were extracted from Ferrua’s personal and professional profile. Readers can read that article at the “tinyurl” address I created: tinyurl.com/Ferrua.
From her writings and personal accounts, we know Ferrua is committed to early intervention, educational equity and community involvement; we know that she embraces student-centered education, organizational collaboration at all levels and strong foundational skills for all students.
Again, for transparency, all these are third-party-from-afar observations, not intended to pressure school board members toward a decision they are not prepared to make. But Kourtney Ferrua seems destined to become a school superintendent somewhere, and if that fittingly should be in her native McMinnville, the board should have all the knowledge, experience and insight needed to make that decision now.
It should, at minimum, be an interesting and illuminating discussion at Monday night’s School Board meeting.
Jeb Bladine can be reached at jbladine@newsregister.com or 503-687-1223.
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