The Covington County School Board voted Tuesday to advertise statewide for the system’s next superintendent.

Superintendent Terry Holley announced in February that he would retire at the end of August, ending a 36-year career in education.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the board voted to spend $6,000 and hire the Alabama Association of School Boards to head the selection process.

“The board needs to have a shared vision of what the next superintendent needs to be, what qualities and skills are needed,” said Sally Howell, AASB executive director, as she explained the process to board members. “It is a slow process, but by using consultants, it will help you get a better match.”

And that’s exactly what board members said they wanted – the best candidate, be it from the local applicant pool or from the outside, the group said.

“I know we have a good number of applicants locally that plan to apply,” said board member Jeff Bailey. “I think this process will make it clear who is the best candidate, because that is what we all want – the best candidate, whoever that is. I want the public to know we haven’t made up our mind who the next superintendent will be. This search will do that, and the best candidate will rise to the top.”

As part of the AASB service, the group will advertise the search and recruit candidates; survey the community on the desired superintendent qualities and skills; receive and screen applicants; schedule interviews; provide interview guide for the board, and other services.

Howell said the community survey is the first step in the process and will be done online.

“This survey will be done on the computer by everyone in the community who chooses to participate,” she said. “That information will serve as a template for the board to use as qualifications for the next superintendent.”

Howell distributed a tentative timeline for the process, which outlined:

• Conducting the online survey, March 7-19;

• Determining selection criteria by March 25;

• Advertising the vacancy on March 27; and,

• Setting the application deadline on May 2.

The timeline stated finalists could be selected by May 7, with interviews conducted May 20-24. Interviews will be open to the public, and the new superintendent is slated to begin July 1.

 

 

 

The Covington County Board of Education made five personnel changes Tuesday.

Among those were:

• to grant a one-year leave of absence to Patty M. Robbins, secretary at the central office, beginning March 22;

• to accept the resignation of John Anderson Givhan II as technology technician at the central office, effective April 1;

• to employ James Dye as maintenance worker at the central office, effective immediately;

• to employ Polly Ann Martin Dubose as central office secretary, effective immediately; and,

• to grant six weeks of family medical leave to Alicia Denise Moore, W.S. Harlan Elementary School teacher.