The Hood River County School District Board is expected to appoint Bill Newton to serve as the district’s interim superintendent at a special meeting on Monday. If the board votes to approve a contract for Newton, he will hold the position for the 2023-24 school year. Newton would be taking over for Rich Polkinghorn, who resigned to take the superintendent’s job in the White Salmon Valley School District. Newton has served as the district’s curriculum and instruction executive director since the 2019-20 school year. He was principal at Westside Elementary from 2012 to 2018, and prior to that worked 14 years in Salem-Keizer Public Schools. District Board Chair Chrissy Reitz said the board was impressed with Newton’s extensive knowledge of the district’s operations and programs. The district will begin a formal process to hire a permanent superintendent in October.