Marcia Stolfus will serve as the new Flathead County superintendent of schools, per a Tuesday press release from the county.
The Flathead County Board of Commissioners selected Stolfus, the director of the Flathead County Special Education Cooperative, for the position at their Tuesday meeting.
Commissioners interviewed two candidates last Thursday. The other candidate was Dr. Shannon Marshall, the school principal and superintendent at Kila School District.
Stolfus replaces former Superintendent Cal Ketchum.
Ketchum, a Republican, won election to the position in 2022. He previously worked as superintendent of the West Valley School District. His four-year term as the county superintendent expires Dec. 31, 2026, which is now when Stolfus’ service in the position will finish.
The reasons for Ketchum’s departure were personal. Ketchum said he and his wife — who is also an educator — decided early on that last school year would be their last in education. They wanted to spend time with their grandkids and focus on family.
The county superintendent of schools is an elected position. County superintendents serve four-year terms, according to the School Administrators of Montana.
They respond to “local needs” and provide “professional and educational leadership.” In Flathead County, the position requires a full-time commitment due to the number of independent school districts — a total of 23. County superintendents also handle state requirements for homeschooled students.
Ketchum said he thinks Stolfus will do a “great job” and pick up the new position quickly. He added he’d only be a phone call away should she need any help.
“Education has been my passion for nearly two decades and I am deeply committed to the future of education in the Flathead Valley,” Stolfus stated, per the press release. “Our schools are the heart of the community. I appreciate the confidence the commissioners have placed in me and look forward to building on the foundation laid by Superintendent Ketchum.”
The county’s press release stated Stolfus has 18 years of special education experience. She has served three years at the helm of the Flathead County Special Education Cooperative.
The county superintendent of schools position will be up for election again in 2026. Interested candidates must file by the end of 2025 for the June 2026 primary.