The committee established to review the 23 candidates for the principal’s position at Nogales High School narrowed the field Wednesday to three finalists, including two local applicants.

The field is narrowed to locals Fernando Parra and Liza Montiel, plus Arturo Menchaca, a principal in the Sunnyside School District in Tucson.

The trio consists of Fernando Parra, principal at Mary L. Welty Elementary School; Liza Montiel, who heads Wade Carpenter Middle School; and Arturo Menchaca, a principal in the Sunnyside School District in Tucson.

Superintendent Shawn McCollough of the Nogales Unified School District No. 1 said Thursday that the committee was expected to select its final preferred candidate by this evening. The members’ recommendation is scheduled to be presented to the school board for its final blessing at a meeting set for 5:30 p.m. Monday.

Internally

Parra, former assistant principal at NHS, had been the sole applicant during a previous job posting held internally within the district. When McCollough subsequently opened the position statewide and nationally to draw more applicants, Parra announced he would withdraw. Last week, though, he resubmitted his application to remain in the running.

He has a master’s degree in educational leadership and an Arizona Principal’s certificate. He has been with the district for 17 years, including 10 years as a Spanish teacher and basketball coach at NHS, five years as an assistant principal at NHS until December 2005 when he was assigned to lead Mary L. Welty Elementary School.

That same year in September, Montiel was assigned from Lincoln Elementary School where she was principal for eight years to Wade Carpenter. She has a master’s degree in bilingual education and 20 years’ experience in kindergarten through 12th grade education.

Experience

Menchaca has 16 years experience, including eight years in school administration and eight years as assistant principal and principal at the middle school and high school level. He is currently a principal at Sierra Middle School in the Sunnyside School District in Tucson.

The selection committee, which McCollough described as NHS “stakeholders,” included department chairs Jim Bender, math; Aissa Bonillas, Honors IB; Yvette Favela, modern languages; Martin Gonzalez, social studies; Carolyn Hernandez, physical education; Neal Krug, science; Judith Mendoza Jimenez, special education; Hector Ramirez, guidance; Larry Schmale, fine arts; and Silvia Scheibli, English Curriculum Chair.

Student Body President Rafael Camacho Jr. was selected among the membership to chair the committee, with Kathy Scott, NHS teacher and grants coordinator as vice chair.

Other members were Laura I Espinoza, computer lab specialist; Cathy Novelo, NHS clerk; NUSD board members Manuel Ruiz and Frank Morales; and Manny Trujillo, and Fredrick Capin, members of the NHS parents-students organization.