DEARBORN — The Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education has selected three finalists in its search for the district’s next superintendent following a special meeting held Saturday, April 18.

The finalists are Thomas Ahart, former superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools; Mike Esseily, executive director of special populations at Dearborn Public Schools; and Moussa Hamka, assistant superintendent of human resources at Grosse Pointe Public Schools.

The selection moves the district a step closer to naming a successor to former Superintendent Glenn Maleyko, who announced last fall that he was leaving Dearborn Public Schools after being chosen to become Michigan’s next state superintendent overseeing the Michigan Department of Education.

Community meetings, school visits planned

The three finalists are scheduled to visit the district on Wednesday, April 22, when they will tour schools, meet with key stakeholders and learn more about the Dearborn Public Schools community.

Community meetings are also planned for that afternoon, giving parents, residents and others an opportunity to hear from the finalists and submit questions to be asked of the candidates.

An informal public meet-and-greet with the finalists will also be held that evening at the Administrative Service Center, 18700 Audette St. in Dearborn.

Final interviews set for April 23

Final interviews with the Board of Education are scheduled for Thursday, April 23, at 6 p.m. The interviews will be broadcast live on the district’s YouTube channel.

District stakeholders can also learn more about the finalists by watching their initial interviews online. Those interviews were conducted from April 14 through April 16 and are now available for public viewing.

During the first round of interviews, members of the public were invited to submit feedback through an online form during each candidate’s interview and for most of the following day. District officials said hundreds of comments were collected and made available to board members as they weighed which candidates to advance as finalists.

A similar online form will be used to gather community feedback on the three finalists.

Board expected to make selection May 4

After the finalist interviews are completed, the Board of Education is expected to choose its preferred candidate during a special meeting scheduled for May 4 at 6 p.m.

Once a finalist is selected, the board and the candidate will negotiate a contract, which must later be formally approved before the appointment becomes official.

The next superintendent will take over leadership of one of the state’s largest and most diverse school districts as Dearborn Public Schools prepares for its next chapter.