The Columbus Municipal School District moved forward in its search for a new superintendent Tuesday night, with the board of trustees meeting to review candidate resumes. In a lengthy executive session at Brandon Central Services, consultants from the Mississippi School Boards Association presented the resumes as well as additional information they discovered while backgrounding the candidates.
MSBA was hired in July to conduct the search for the district, using a 12-point list of criteria board members wanted in the next superintendent. The qualities were compiled after community feedback sessions and feedback from the board members and ranged from financial savviness, a commitment to community engagement and a willingness to work cooperatively with the board.
Advertisements were placed in regional and national publications. Applications were closed Jan. 31.
Approximately 10 people applied for the position, and one candidate withdrew Feb. 10 in order to take a position with another district. Of the applicants, one is currently a superintendent, one is an interim superintendent, three are former superintendents, one is a school principal, two are consultants and one is a director of pupil services.
Seven of the applicants have doctorate degrees. Four are from Mississippi, one is from Indiana, one is from Oklahoma, one from Massachusetts, one from Michigan and one from Wisconsin.
Board President Glenn Lautzenhiser said Wednesday morning that he and the board were impressed with the thoroughness of the investigation.
“They had done a lot of digging, and they passed a lot of info to the board which we found helpful in considering the different candidates,” Lautzenhiser said. “We were given a lot of info to digest. We’ll continue to review the information and read the resumes and at some point in the future, we’ll call a board meeting.”
Lautzenhiser said he anticipates another board meeting in the next week or two. Monday through Wednesday of next week, the board members will be at Jackson’s MSBA Spring Conference.
“It’s going to be soon,” he said. “It’s not going to be several weeks down the road.”
The district has been without a full time superintendent since May, when former superintendent Del Phillips resigned to accept a position as Director of Schools for the Sumner County School System in Gallatin, Tenn.
Since that time, the superintendent’s role has been filled by Interim Superintendent Dr. Martha Liddell. She had previously expressed interest in applying for the superintendent’s position, but the board has not confirmed whether she was among the applicants.
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
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