Chelsea Schools superintendent search down to two

The Chelsea School District has narrowed its list of potential candidates vying for the superintendent job.

One is a familiar face and name in former Chelsea High School Principal Michael Kapolka and the other is Bradley Paddock, Executive Manager of Human Resources at Walled Lake Consolidated Schools.

Kapolka has served as the Assistant Superintendent for Wayne Westland Community Schools since November 2021. He served as CHS Principal from 2012-2021.

According to the CSD news release, Paddock has served as the Executive Manager of Human Resources for Walled Lake Consolidated Schools since March 2018. Previously, he served as Principal of Sarah Banks Middle School in Walled Lake beginning in 2010.

Both went before the CSD Board of Education on Monday and Tuesday with interviews conducted in an open meeting. The school board voted to bring back Kapolka and Paddock for more questions and to get some insight into their potential first 90 day plans.

In a new release sent out on July 13, CSD said the board initially interviewed three candidates: Michael Kapolka, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources at Wayne Westland Community Schools; Bradley Paddock, Executive Manager of Human Resources at Walled Lake Consolidated Schools and Justin Ralston, High School Principal at Washington, D.C. Public Schools.

The opening for this position came after outgoing CSD Superintendent Julie Helber in May announced her retirement, which will be effective Aug. 1.

The district said it will host a concurrent open house for each candidate in which members of the community and Chelsea School District staff may briefly interact and engage with the candidate. The open house will be held from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 14, at the Washington Street Education Center, 500 Washington Street, Chelsea, Michigan in rooms 100A and 100B. Staff and community are encouraged to attend.

The interviews will be held at the same site in the Boardroom, again, beginning at 6 p.m. on July 14. The public is welcome to attend.

Kapolka will interview at 6 p.m. and Paddock at 7:30 p.m.