UPDATE on April 29: The interviews that were supposed to held April 30 are now set for May 2.

Brookfield Board of Education will interview two candidates for superintendent Monday, April 29, and three the next day, said board President Ronda Bonekovic.

The board has released the names of the final five:

  • Toby Gibson, the Brookfield Middle School principal.
  • Gary Carkido, high school principal in McDonald.
  • Rocco Nero, superintendent in Southington.
  • Michelle Kalish, assistant superintendent in Brooklyn (Ohio) City Schools.
  • Dr. Terri Hrina-Treharn, assistant superintendent of Rootstown.

“We’ve got a lot of great candidates,” Bonekovic said. “Their resumes are very impressive. I think it’s gonna be a hard decision.”

The board had chosen a sixth candidate, but that person took a job elsewhere, Bonekovic said.

The board members, with assistance from representatives of the Trumbull and Mahoning County Educational Services Centers, worked from a rubric that weighed factors such as experience, previous administrative duties, years of service, references and curriculum knowledge in choosing the candidates to interview, she said.

“The top picks were pretty similar,” she said of the views of board members.

“Our main goal is (to choose) the best person for the job,” Bonekovic said. “We need someone who’s gonna keep the ball rolling.”

The board has tentatively set second interviews for May 21, with the intent to hire a new superintendent on May 22.

Current Superintendent Velina Jo Taylor has been hired for the same position at Lakeview schools, and will leave when her contract ends July 31.