The first three candidates vying to be the next Calcasieu Parish School Board superintendent were interviewed by School Board members during a special meeting Wednesday.

Seven candidates are being considered for the job currently held by Karl Bruchhaus, who announced his retirement in February. Bruchhaus’ retirement will take effect June 30.

Adam Taylor, Stanton Lawrence and Clarence Michael Robinson Jr. were the first to be interviewed. Shannon LaFargue and Hamilton Brock will be interviewed May 16, and Robert Barrentine and Ret. Col. Corwin Robinson will be interviewed May 17.

Three finalists will be selected May 17, with interviews and a final selection set for May 26.

Taylor is from Harriman, N.Y., and has been a consultant for Darryl Richardson LLC since 2020. He was previously a superintendent for Rutland City Public Schools in Vermont from 2018-2020 and executive director/regional superintendent of the West Contra Costa Unified School District in California from 2012-2018.

Lawrence lives in Victoria, Texas, and has been the assistant superintendent of administration for the Victoria Independent School District since 2020. He also served as principal of the Healy-Murphy Center in San Antonio from 2018-2020 and was assistant superintendent for administration at the San Antonio Independent School District from 2014-2018.

Clarence Robinson, of Thibodaux, has served as chief academic officer for the East Baton Rouge Parish School System since Feb. 2021. He was superintendent of schools for the Pine Bluff School District in Arkansas from 2016-2018, and instructional director of Prince George’s County Public Schools in Upper Marlboro, Md., from 2013-2016.

LaFargue, of Lake Charles, has been the chief academic officer for the Calcasieu School Board since 2019. He was the School Board’s chief operating officer from 2015-2019. Before that, he was principal at A.M. Barbe High School from 2014-2015 and the school’s assistant principal from 2007-2014.

Brock, of Baker, has been the principal of the Baker Alternative Learning Center since 2011. He formerly was a GED chief test examiner for the Louisiana Department of Education from 2009-2010 and principal of Delhi High School from 2007-2009 and Monticello High School in Lake Providence from 2006-2007.

Barrentine, of Sulphur, has been the chief operating officer for the Calcasieu School Board since 2019. He was the principal at Sulphur High School and W.W. Lewis Middle from 2012-2019 and assistant principal there from 2004-2012.

Corwin Robinson, of Slidell, has been the principal at the St. Tammany Parish School Board in Covington since 2014. He served as superintendent of Lake County Schools in Tiptonville, Tenn., from 2012-2014.

Bruchhaus has served eight years as superintendent, 26 years with the Calcasieu School Board and 34 years serving Louisiana public school systems. He said in February that he will not offer any recommendations or comments on the candidates.