Submitted to C-P
The Marion County School District Board contracted with the Mississippi School Boards Association (MSBA) to assist in the search for the new superintendent of the Marion County School District.
A brochure advertising the superintendent vacancy and outlining the basic qualifications for the superintendent, which were set by the board members, was prepared by MSBA and posted online at the MSBA website with the application on March 25.
Denotris Jackson, executive director of MSBA, sent an email to over 5,000 people on the MSBA mailing list announcing the search and requesting assistance in publicizing the vacancy. She also wrote personal letters to possible applicants.
The vacancy announcement was sent to the National School Boards Association, which posted it on their website. All inquiries to MSBA regarding the position were answered, and a brochure outlining the procedures to apply for the position was sent to each. Responses were made to those who had been recommended or who had expressed an interest in the position.
The deadline to receive applications was set as April 23. All completed applications which were postmarked on or before the deadline were accepted and processed.
An online survey, conducted by the school district, was made available to the district’s stakeholder groups, including teachers, administrators, parents, and community/business members, in order to gather information regarding the characteristics of the new superintendent and priorities for the district.
A webinar style stakeholder meeting was held on April 22 to answer questions regarding the search and to receive input from the stakeholder groups. Results were compiled by MSBA and provided to the board members for use in the interview process and as a foundation for making the decision as to who will be the new superintendent.
There are 15 applicants for the superintendent position. Jackson, and Dr. Tommye Henderson, MSBA superintendent search coordinator, met with the board to review the applications on May 14.
Among the applicants are two superintendents, two assistant superintendents, four directors, five principals, one job specialist, and one implementation coach. Six of the applicants have a doctorate degree. Eleven applicants are male, and four applicants are female. Fourteen of the applicants are from Mississippi, and one applicant is from New Hampshire.
Each application was reviewed, analyzed, and evaluated according to the established criteria, references were checked, and background checks were completed. Reference letters for each applicant were received. Personal contacts were made to gain additional information.
A determination was made as to whether each applicant met the qualifications to be a superintendent in Mississippi as defined in the Mississippi Code of 1972, 37-9-13, which went into effect on July 1, 2017, or met the Mississippi Department of Education Alternative Qualifications for Prospective District Superintendents of Education.
Information was also provided regarding how each applicant met the criteria to be superintendent as set by the Board members of the Marion County School District. The board members received the report and all application materials. Board members will use the report and materials to determine the next course of action.
The Marion County School Board met on May 17, and five applicants were selected from the MSBA list to be interviewed. The interview period will be June 1 until June 4.
