District 197 Superintendent in Top Two for Farmington Position

West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan School District Superintendent Jay Haugen is one of two finalists for the position of Farmington Area Schools superintendent.

Haugen and St. Anthony-New Brighton Superintendent Rod Thompson were described as “clear favorites,” in a report by the Farmington Independent, a news source in Farmington.*

Haugen is a Mendota Heights resident who has been with since 2006.  

Four finalists were interviewed Thursday for the chance to advance in the search. There were 29 applications for the position.

Haugen and Thompson were described in the report as “forward thinkers and not satisfied with the status quo,” by John Guist, a local pastor that sat on a community advisory board involved in Thursday's interviews. “They were both pretty strong in curriculum, in integrity, in caring for the community, caring for staff. That’s what impressed me the most.”

that he applied for the job only last week, and that the position in a larger school district poses a good opportunity.

The two candidates will take tours of the district, sit in on public forums and be interviewed in a second round next week before the district makes a final decision.

*This story has been edited to correct the name of the publication, the Farmington Independent, that originally reported the story. Patch apologizes for the error.