Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, July 31, 1990 TAG: 9007310291
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MADELYN ROSENBERG
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Medium
The position was vacated in June by Jim Burns, who resigned to become superintendent of schools in Muscogee County, Ga.
The board received applications from 79 people across the country, Ron Chaffin, vice chairman of the School Board, said Monday. The list has been narrowed to about 15 names.
Some of the candidates have taken other jobs since filing applications with Pulaski County, which had a June 24 deadline.
"It's only happened a few times, but a couple of people have had to say, `Thanks, but no thanks,' " Chaffin said.
The board is scheduled to meet in executive session with another applicant tonight.
The state gave board members 60 days to find a new superintendent, but the board is filing for a 60-day extension, Chaffin said. "We'd like to have someone in here as soon as possible, but we have to make sure we find the right person," he said. "We anticipate having someone on board sometime in September."
Board members have said they thought they had the right person when they hired Burns last year from Vero Beach, Fla. But the superintendent, citing family reasons, left with three years remaining on his contract.
In the past, the state has required superintendents to have four-year contracts, Chaffin said. But beginning this year, two- and three-year contracts also will be allowed.
"We talked about that some, but we haven't made any decisions," Chaffin said.
The board also has talked about offering a contract that would provide more protection to the school system, should the new superintendent choose to leave before the contract is up.
"Our attorney is experimenting with it a little bit," Chaffin said. "We'll discuss the proposals and terms as we're ready."
The applicants came from all over the United States, including Alaska, Texas and North Carolina, Chaffin said.
"We even got one who listed his home address as `Uruguay,' but I think that was a graduate student at Virginia Tech."
The list included 25 applicants from Virginia, four of them local.
When Burns applied for the job, there were 52 other applicants, said Irene Kegley, chairwoman of the board.
by CNB