School board members agreed on a process and timeline for hiring a new superintendent during a special work session on Tuesday afternoon.
The session was called after Superintendent Ken Ramey announced at the Jan. 10 board meeting that he plans to retire on June 30.
School board members will be responsible for interviewing, selecting and negotiating a contract with a new superintendent, according to Ramey.
On Tuesday, board members were given two proposed tentative timelines for hiring a new superintendent and were also offered the opportunity to create their own timeline. The first timeline concluded with introducing the superintendent at the regular March school board meeting while the second timeline ended with introducing the superintendent at the April meeting.
After more than an hour in an executive session called to discuss hiring, board members decided on the extended timeline that ends in April, citing the flexibility it will give them. The timeline can also be moved up if necessary or changed depending on the number of applications that are received, board member Connie Matchell pointed out.
According to the tentative timeline, the job will be posted for a period of three weeks from Jan. 21 through Feb. 8 on the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators and Arkansas School Board Association websites. Depending on how many applications are received, a period of three weeks from Feb. 11 through March 1 are designated to allow time to conduct reference checks and follow up with candidates.
The board set a goal of having a special meeting on March 5 or 6 to select candidates to interview, followed by a week of candidate interviews on March 25 through 29. The board hopes to hold a special meeting in early April to choose a candidate and offer the position to that person, then introduce the new superintendent at the regular school board meeting on April 11.
The details of the superintendent application process were also discussed during the work session. School board members reviewed and revised the job description and questions on the application form. Ramey was given the responsibility of conducting background checks and calling references.
School board members are also searching for a board member to fill the Zone 1 position, left empty after Roger Holroyd officially announced has resignation at the Jan. 10 board meeting. Interested parties have until noon Feb. 1 to contact the superintendent's office and must provide a resume of qualifications and a cover letter stating why they are seeking the position and why they should be chosen for the position.
General News on 01/20/2019