FARMINGTON -- In a special meeting Monday, Farmington School Board voted to call in top candidates to interview for the superintendent's position.
Superintendent Bryan Law has submitted his resignation, effective June 30, to become director of Northwest Education Service Cooperative.
The following applicants will be contacted for interviews to take place Feb. 24 and possibly Feb. 25.
The school received applications from 25 people by the Jan. 24 deadline, with two of those in-district applicants, five from other districts and the University of Arkansas in Northwest Arkansas, seven from out of state and the rest from other schools in Arkansas. The out of state applications came from Tennessee, Missouri, Oklahoma and Virginia.
School Board members discussed the search process during a work session Feb. 4.
The candidates will first meet with a committee made up of representatives of the school district and community and then meet in a formal setting with the School Board.
School representatives on the committee are junior high Principal Joe McClung, Williams Elementary Principal Kara Gardenhire, district Treasurer Mandy Uher and classroom teachers Teighlor Williams, Kellie Allen and Belyn Rodgers. Lori Blew, Tonya McCuistion, Randy Lynch and Jay Moore are representing the community on the committee.
The committee of school and community representatives will meet with each candidate for about an hour and then will be asked to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate and provide that information to the board.
Law said the committee's input is important to the process but noted the School Board is the one responsible for making the decision and hiring a new superintendent.
The School Board set aside about an hour for its interview with each candidate.
Law said he would put together questions for the School Board interviews and asked board members to email him any questions they would like to ask.
"There needs to be some script to it but also freedom to go off script," Law said.
Law also recommended assigning questions to specific board members for each interview.
The board's goal is to vote on a new superintendent at its February meeting. The regular meeting date would be Feb. 24 but the board has moved it to Feb. 26 because of the interviews.
"After your interviews, I'm hoping you'll have an idea, and I would think that after going through the interview process you would be able to make a recommendation as to where you want to go," Law said at the work session.
Board members discussed qualities they are looking for in their next superintendent. These included someone who is a good communicator with the staff, public and board and has a clear vision on where to lead the district.
Other qualities mentioned include someone with a financial or business background and someone who understands the school construction process and school curriculum. Also listed as qualities are someone with integrity, a strong ethical background and who is adaptable.
Board member Jeff Oxford said he was impressed with the resumes, adding he considered five applicants as very strong candidates.
Oxford said the board needs to find someone who will let the principals do their job and steer the district.
"That's my opinion. There's a reason people want to come to our district," Oxford said.
Board President Travis Warren also said he believes Farmington received applications from "strong" candidates.
"I'm a bit prejudiced but I think we have the best job open," Warren said.
Law said he believes Farmington needs to move forward in making a decision. January is usually the typical month when superintendents are hired by school boards so Farmington is already somewhat behind in the search process, Law said.
He also noted that other school districts have superintendent openings for the 2020-21 school year.
Law told board members that he and Assistant Superintendent Terri Strope would vet the top candidates and provide that information to board members before their interviews.
General News on 02/12/2020