The search for a new principal of Friday Harbor Elementary School is headed down the home stretch.

Joseph Landerman and Denise Wheeler were selected as the top two candidates to fill the pending vacancy following interviews by the principal search committee earlier this week of the seven semi-finalists. Those interviews took place Monday and Tuesday at the San Juan Island School District office.

The seven semi-finalists, Wheeler and Landerman included, were selected by the committee for the interviews based on an earlier review of the top 28 applicants and the qualifications of each.

The district launched its search for a new elementary school principal earlier this year following the resignation of Gary Pflueger, who leaves the position at the end of the school year. Hired in mid-2008, Pflueger reportedly resigned because of an impasse with district officials over issues of school management and leadership.

According to San Juan Island School District Superintendent Rick Thompson, Landerman and Wheeler were among the top three candidates chosen by consensus of the search committee. Following a discussion by the committee of the strengths of the top three candidates, Wheeler and Landerman were asked to participate next week in a series of more extensive interviews, including a community forum, and to meet with school district staff, students, parents and community members, Thompson said in a prepared statement.

Wheeler, a former elementary school principal and program director in Montana and Wyoming, earned high marks from the committee for her experience, personable manner and dedication to students, according to Thompson. She will be on campus May 11, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and participate in a community forum at the elementary school library, from 6-7 p.m.

The following day, May 12, Landerman, a former elementary and middle school principal and who was named in 2009 as Georgia’s distinguished principal, will be on campus, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and meet with members of the community at a similar forum at the elementary school library, 6-7 p.m.

The search committee is slated to reconvene May 13 to review feedback of the two candidates by the community and district staff, and to consider offering the position to one of the two, pending reference checks and approval of the district’s board of directors.

For info, contact Thompson at San Juan Island School District; (360) 378-4133

— Scott Rasmussen