The Simpson County School Board has begun the search for a superintendent of schools. It may be a monumental task.
This search comes on the heels of the new state requirement that by January 2020 all school superintendents be appointed, or hired, by the school boards of each district. Previously, Simpson County has elected county superintendents.
In the second of three school board meetings held last Thursday, the board heard from Dr. Micheal Waldrop of the Mississippi School Board Association. Waldrop proposed to the board that his organization assist the district in their quest to locate and hire a superintendent. The association brings much experience in this arena.
Waldrop presented the board with three proposals to consider. The first and most comprehensive is to have the association do all the leg work for the district including advertising the position, narrowing the field of candidates, conducting the actual interview process and checking references. All the board would have to do is to vote to approve a candidate from the final recommendations. The cost for this proposal according to Waldrop is $10,500.
The other options included less of the process but ranged from $1,000 to approximately $5,000. The decision would be based on the desires of the board.
Conversation at the meeting indicated that the board was interested in allowing Waldrop to implement the first option with the association taking the lead in the process. The matter was tabled until a later date.
The board also discussed whether current superintendent Greg Paes would be interested in being appointed by the board as the new superintendent. After the meeting Paes was asked if he would be interested in being considered, and he said that he would.
