Schools Push Superintendent Search

The school board has sent out about 50 applications for the position, vacated by Randy Bridges in May when he left to become superintendent of the Rock Hill, S.C. school district. Although only about 24 applications have been returned, board members say they are not worried.

Allison Schafer, policy director and legal counsel for the N.C. School Boards Association, said the low number of applications returned is not unusual.

"Most don't come back in until right before the deadline," she said.

The school board hired the NCSBA to help with the process of finding a new superintendent.

School board member Delores Simpson said she is optimistic about the procedure thus far.

"I feel the process is going great," she said. "The best thing they could have done is use the state School Board Association in the search.

"We feel with this process, they will get what they are looking for."

The school board decided to use community surveys to help find the right superintendent.

"We want to involve the community," Simpson said. "In many instances, communities are left in the dark. Since we serve the community, they need to be involved.

"Children come from the community to the school, and we have to work with parents. The community is a vital part of the school system."

David Kolbinsky, another board member, said the community surveys are not necessarily the best idea.

"The community chooses its representatives when it chooses the school board," Kolbinsky said. "It is a good gesture but sometimes a bit redundant because people will agree about the qualities needed for the job."

He added that the school board is always willing to hear the public's opinion.

"There are always good ideas out there that we haven't thought of," Kolbinsky said.

The school board hopes to have a new superintendent in place by January, but Simpson said the board is not holding to that.

"It is better to take longer and get someone qualified," she said.

Kolbinsky said the board will choose three finalists from the overall pool of applicants. "The superintendent will be chosen from these three by the new board members, who will be seated in December," he said.

"Our district has a lot of things going for it. We are going right on schedule."

The City Editor can be reached at citydesk@unc.edu.