A superintendent could be selected tonight to succeed retiring Mandan Superintendent Kent Hjelmstad.

The Mandan School board is meeting at 5:30 p.m. today at the district office, 309 Collins Ave., to discuss the selection of a superintendent.

"I'm hoping to put forth a name at the meeting,"board President Lynn Wolf said.

The board and other members of a interview committee wrapped up interviews with five candidates Monday. The five interviewed were Vince Reep, business director and director of personnel in Dickinson Public Schools; Wilfred Volesky, superintendent of Beulah Public Schools; Ed Slocum, superintendent of New Town Public Schools; Warren Larson, superintendent of Williston Public Schools; and Chuck Dunlop, superintendent of Turtle Lake School District in Wisconsin.

The board has not made a job offer to any of the candidates, Wolf said. It is conducting background checks on more than one person. His hope is to have a decision and an acceptance by the end of the meeting. The board will probably go into executive session for negotiations, which is closed to the public, he said.

The board's goal had been to hire a new superintendent by May 1. The board is selecting a new superintendent because Hjelmstad asked in January to retire at the end of the school year. Hjelmstad has been superintendent for 10 years in Mandan.

The district had 19 inquiries and about 14 turn in an application. The five finalists were interviewed by all nine board members, a representative from the Mandan Education Association, a representative of classified staff, a representative of district administrators and a member of central administration staff.

The interviewing committee discussed the candidates and how they would fit with the needs of the district, but did not vote on who they would choose, Wolf said.

"We were looking at several things that could take our school to another level," Wolf said.

They want a superintendent who can get them through the next construction project, the junior high. They also want a superintendent who can keep them improving on adequate yearly progress and helping students achieve. This could be done by working with staff and teachers. A superintendent who is visible and active in the community also is a desirable trait, Wolf said.