Bismarck Public Schools promoted two people and hired a third person to lead four elementary schools.

The district has four principal openings to fill this fall because three principals are retiring at the end of the school year.

It promoted Terry Kuester and Cindy Wilcox and hired Bobby Olson from Leola, S.D. Kuester is a teacher and assistant principal at Myhre Elementary School. Wilcox is an assistant principal and instructional strategist at Roosevelt Elementary School. Olson is a principal and superintendent in the Leola School District.

The retiring principals are Moses Principal Claudia Tomanek, Centennial Principal Rolland Messmer and Grimsrud Principal Barb Livermont. The openings are not at those schools because of some shuffling done with the other elementary principals.

The openings are at Highland Acres, Northridge, Prairie Rose and Roosevelt. One of the new principals could be in charge of two schools, as it has been done before. This could change when the administration asks for another principal position at a future board meeting

"I'm just really open to being placed in a school that best uses my skills,"Kuester said.

The district is still discussing in which schools to place the new principals. It should have the assignments decided by week's end, Assistant Superintendent Rick Buresh said.

It's OK with Kuester not knowing where she'll start the school year. The principal's role is about being supportive of children and families, and providing leadership, she said.She could do this in any of the schools and is more excited about the challenges of her new job than anxiety over which school she could be placed in.

She already has insight into the principal's role through a mentorship she completed with Prairie Rose Principal Connie Herman. It gave her a chance to work with an experienced principal, see the ins-and-outs of the job and explore leadership at that level.

"It gives me a well-rounded picture of the job and responsibilities," Kuester said.

Kuester has worked for the district 18 years. Wilcox has worked at Roosevelt a year and was the program administrator for the State Improvement Grant.

She also was a special education director in northeast North Dakota for 10 years. Olson has seven years of administration experience.

Thirty-one people applied for the positions and 11 were interviewed by school district administrators, teachers and parents, according to a release from the district.

"We're really excited with the candidates who accepted," Buresh said.

Now that the principals are selected, they will go through an orientation-like program through the district and take some classes through the Department of Public Instruction for new administrators. Each new principal will be assigned a mentor for the year, as well.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@;bismarcktribune.com.)