Whitefish School District Taps Bloom to Serve as Interim Superintendent
The district will ratify a contract with Lisa Bloom, who currently works as the director of curriculum, assessment and professional development, at a later date
By Mariah Thomas
The Whitefish School District moved to appoint one of its own as the district’s interim superintendent for the 2026-2027 school year at a special meeting Wednesday.
The board voted unanimously to offer the role to Lisa Bloom and enter contract negotiations with her. Bloom is the district’s current director of curriculum, assessment and professional development.
Bloom is a longtime staple in the Whitefish School District. She worked as a teacher at Whitefish’s Muldown Elementary School for more than 25 years before taking over her current administrative role in 2021. She also served a stint as the head of the district’s teachers union in 2020-2021. Her assumption of the interim superintendency comes on the heels of a failed negotiation with the board’s pick for the district’s next superintendent.
The position attracted 19 applicants, which the board narrowed to a field of three finalists before voting to offer the position to Dr. Jennifer Fee, a veteran educator from Michigan. But in March Elizabeth Pitman, the board chair, announced negotiations had fallen through. She said it was due to “the candidate’s failure to disclose salary and benefit expectations, despite clear communication from the district.” Pitman doubled down on that sentiment Wednesday.
“… We are so fortunate that we do have excellent leadership across our district,” said Katie Clarke, one of Whitefish’s school board members.
Clarke pointed out this is the second time the district has had a challenging time with superintendent searches. Dave Means, the current superintendent, first took over the position as an interim superintendent following a failed search for someone to fill the role in 2020. Means announced he would retire last November.
“With the housing crisis being what they are, the cost of living being what it is, it is very difficult to find somebody from outside to come in, and we’re fortunate that we have great people here,” Clarke continued. “So, I personally feel really confident about Lisa (Bloom’s) skills and abilities, in addition to feeling really confident about the team around her.”
Pitman said during the meeting the board still plans for Bloom’s time in the role to be temporary. The district hopes to open another search to fill the role permanently in the next school year. Pitman said she was grateful Bloom had stepped up in the meantime.
Other school board members similarly chimed in, highlighting several qualities — commitment to teamwork, previous experience as a teacher, and knowledge of the district among them — that made Bloom a good fit to fill in the role. Bloom, in a statement she read to the board, said she was “honored” to step in as the interim superintendent.
“My primary goal for the coming school year is to ensure our staff and families continue to feel supported through clear communication and consistent systems,” Bloom said. “Our students remain our top priority.”
Pending finalization of Bloom’s contract, which will be ratified at a future school board meeting, she’ll take over as the district’s head administrator for the next school year on July 1.