YAKIMA, Wash. – The Educational Service District 105 has selected Shane Backlund as the new superintendent to oversee more than 20 schools in Yakima and Kittitas, surpassing two other candidates, Shon Hocker and John Searles.
Hocker, the current Superintendent of the Coeur d’Alene School District, was not chosen after previously failing to secure a superintendent position in Pueblo, Colorado, in a 3-2 vote earlier this year.
His pursuit of a new role comes amid budget challenges faced by the Coeur d’Alene School District, including insufficient state funding that led to the closure of Borah Elementary.
Parents in the district have expressed frustration over Borah Elementary’s closure and ongoing budget issues as the district prepares a new budget for the 2024-’25 academic year.
Shane Backlund, chosen over Hocker, will take the superintendent role after Kevin Chase’s retirement from a longstanding position in the district.
The school district is scheduled to meet on May 13 to vote on the redistribution of Borah Elementary’s students and will release the 2024-’25 budget in June.
