End is near for Cd'A school boss

There’s more than a dispute over school boundaries and overstuffed classrooms in Coeur d’Alene School District.

You might be witnessing a full-fledged administrative divorce.

Superintendent Matt Handelman’s short-lived romance with the Edmonds, Wash., school district for its top administrative job seems to have broken some hearts locally. Others were broken-hearted when he was not selected for the job.

Of particular interest, Edmonds wasn’t his only bid to leave the North Idaho nest. Turns out he’s been actively seeking a livelihood elsewhere.

In mid-March, Handelman notified district staff that he was applying for the superintendent’s position in Edmonds, where he got his first administrative job 20 years ago. It was a dream job that he just couldn’t pass up applying for, he said. The timing of that was at best awkward; Handelman’s note to staff was sent just as Edmonds was releasing a list of finalists for the job. Even more awkward, not all of his bosses — members of the school board — even knew he had applied. That’s not indicative of an employee who has a good relationship with his superiors.

Handelman’s inability to resist the temptation of trying to go “full circle,” as he put it, did not go over well with some Coeur d’Alene patrons, either. Many wondered why a guy would seek to get out after just two and a half years on the job. That wonderment turned more toward scorn when it was revealed Friday that Handelman was named a finalist in the Cheney, Wash., school district.

Whether Handelman has become a serial job seeker or he just happens to have made the finalist pool with two Washington school districts in a few weeks probably isn’t relevant. Here’s what is: He clearly is trying to leave Coeur d’Alene. And there are those who might jump to open the door for him.

School board Chair Christa Hazel and Handelman made public their school overcrowding fight recently, with Hazel essentially questioning Handelman’s judgment, fairness and desire for district transparency. Handelman countered that he’d done everything by the book, which, in essence, called into question Hazel’s judgment and fairness. Even so, Hazel was respectful if not glowing in her comments about Handelman when his Cheney finalist status was reported by The Press.

It will be interesting to see how this drama plays out. If Coeur d’Alene’s school board and superintendent haven’t lost complete confidence in each other, they’re getting close. And that means one way or the other, Handelman is as good as gone.