The Auburn School District Board of Directors selected three finalists from a pool of six semifinalists for the superintendent vacancy in the Auburn School District.

The finalists, disclosed this week, are:

• Elaine Beraza, director of Department of Defense Domestic Elementary and Secondary Schools, Department of Defense Education Activity.

• Dennis “Kip” Herren, deputy superintendent, Auburn School District.

• Michael Newman, associate superintendent, Auburn School District.

The finalist interviews will be conducted during special board meetings on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Additionally, the community is invited to community forums from 5 to 6 p.m. on those days to meet and ask questions of each finalist. All forums will be held in the James P. Fugate Administration Building, 915 4th Street N.E. The community forum schedule is as follows:

• Tuesday: Newman

• Wednesday: Herren

• Thursday: Beraza

After the final interviews board members expect to do more site visits and staff interviews.

Superintendent Linda Cowan announced in January that she would retire.

School Board President Craig Schumaker is pleased with what has happened to date.

“The process has been incredibly good,” said Schumaker. “Community input has been very valuable and very helpful. We had six very good semifinalists, and that has made our job very difficult, too.”

Schumaker said the board expects, tentatively, to make its choice by the fourth week of May.