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Albert Lea Area Schools Superintendent Mike Funk is a candidate for Eastern Carver County Schools superintendent, according to the district’s website.

The website said the district narrowed an initial pool of 16 applicants — 10 from Minnesota, two from Iowa and Wisconsin, one from Wyoming and one from Missouri — down to eight for initial interviews, which were set to be conducted Tuesday and Wednesday. Seven of the eight are with Minnesota districts, with one currently with a Wisconsin district.

Along with Funk, the others up for interviews are Mounds View Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Jeff Ridlehoover, Minneapolis Public Schools Associate Superintendent Ron Wagner, North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Lisa Sayles-Adams, Prior Lake Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Jeff Holmberg, Somerset (Wisconsin) Public Schools Superintendent Mark Bezek, Robbinsdale Public Schools Executive Director Kristine Wehrkamp and Belle Plaine Public Schools Superintendent Ryan Laager. 

“While the structure of the interview process is the same, selecting a new superintendent during a public health crisis means it looks and feels different,” Eastern Carver County Schools stated on its website. “The first-round interviews will be conducted virtually by the school board. The final round will be a hybrid of in-person interviews with the board and virtual meetings with staff, student and community stakeholders.”

Funk’s interview was set for 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. 

The school district stated it would deliberate following the last candidate interview Wednesday, and determine the finalists for the position. Audio of the interviews will be livestreamed, and the public can listen to them at vimeo.com/user43334503.

Finalist interviews are scheduled for the week of May 11. After all interviews are completed the board will deliberate with the intent of naming Eastern Carver County Schools’ next superintendent. The new superintendent will start July 1.

“Eastern Carver County is one of the best districts in the state of Minnesota,” Funk said in an email Tuesday afternoon. “From a professional perspective, it is a great opportunity to be recruited for this position.”