Tim Sperber selected as Lewiston's next superintendent

Tim Sperber, a longtime area educator who has been a Lewiston School District administrator since 2006, has been selected as the district's next superintendent.

Sperber was picked Monday evening by the Lewiston School Board following a closed-door executive session that lasted more than four hours. When the board returned to open session around 9:20 p.m., it voted 5-0 to hire Sperber for the job.

Sperber, who has been the principal at Sacajawea Middle School since 2021, will officially start in his new role July 1. He will replace current Superintendent Lance Hansen, who will leave Lewiston for the same role in the Kennewick School District this summer.

"Tim is such a relationship builder and has some great ideas and thoughts about increasing the culture in the valley, working as a true partnership with our community, which is part of our vision," said Staci Baldwin, president of the Lewiston School Board. "I think having Tim in here will allow us to not take any steps backward on the trajectory Lance has us on."

Sperber and one other in-house candidate, Director of Curriculum Lisa Fenter, were interviewed by the board behind closed doors Monday evening. Baldwin said in open session that "we had two great candidates. Both had great strengths."

Had the board not been confident in picking one of the in-house candidates Monday night, it would have opened a public search, Baldwin said.

"The board definitely did their due diligence, asking questions of the candidates in all aspects," she said. "They both did a great job — they really did. It was not an easy decision, but I think it'll be great for the district."