
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, July 9, 1993                   TAG: 9307090239
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LAURA WILLIAMSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

SCHOOL BOARD CHIEF RE-ELECTED

When the Roanoke County School Board begins its quest for a Thomas new superintendent this fall, leading the search will be Frank Thomas, elected for the eighth time Thursday night to serve as chairman.

The board also re-elected Maurice Mitchell as vice chairman, a post he has held for the past year. Both Mitchell and Thomas received unanimous support.

After more than seven years as chairman, said Thomas, the job had become "somewhat automatic." But he looked forward to a particularly tough year ahead.

"We certainly do have challenges before us," he said, citing funding problems for improvements to Cave Spring Junior High School and steadily decreasing state aid.

Chief among the board's concerns for the next year will be finding a replacement for Superintendent Bayes Wilson, who retires next June after 38 years with the county school system.

Wilson, the first principal of Salem High School, has been superintendent since 1980.

Thomas said the search for a new superintendent would begin within 60 days and would likely take six months or longer.

"The board has a lot of work ahead," he said.

by CNB