THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 30, 1995 TAG: 9511300378
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALETA PAYNE AND TOM HOLDEN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Long : 212 lines
Three finalists have emerged in the search for a superintendent to run the city's schools - one of them the district's interim superintendent, James L. Pughsley.
The other finalists, chosen from 39 applicants, are Bob Bowers, superintendent of South-Western City School District in Grove City, Ohio, and Timothy R. Jenney, superintendent of Greenville County (S.C.) Schools.
School Board Chairwoman June T. Kernutt said Wednesday she hopes the new superintendent will be named by mid-December.
``We're at the stage now where we have to roll up our sleeves and do a lot of work,'' she said. ``But we can still do it in a reasonable amount of time.''
The out-of-state candidates and their wives will visit the Beach in the next two weeks and will meet with a citizens committee that was appointed early in the process. Board members have not decided whether they will visit the out-of-town districts.
The announcement of the finalists comes five days before a special grand jury is to begin its investigation into the school district's finances. The system ran a $12.1 million budget deficit for the last fiscal year - a violation of state law.
Because the jury's investigation could take several months and the outcome remains uncertain, some officials are questioning the decision to proceed quickly in finding a replacement for Sidney L. Faucette, who left the division this summer to head a Georgia school district.
Kernutt said the process should not be delayed.
``I think the board feels we know what we need in a superintendent,'' she said. ``I think it's important for the stability of the school district that we name a superintendent and move forward.''
Pughsley, who took over the interim post in July, said he expects to go through the same remaining interviews as the other candidates. He has been praised for instituting strict corrective measures to keep this year's budget in line and for providing school and city officials with clear, accurate information about the division's financial health.
Those who have worked with him here and elsewhere have praised him for his forthrightness and integrity. However, while Pughsley has never been implicated in the budget fiasco by outside investigators, neither has he been completely cleared.
Pughsley said Wednesday afternoon that he is pleased to be one of the finalists and sees his position within the district as an advantage and disadvantage.
While his knowledge of the city and the school division is a plus, he said, ``the disadvantages have to do with having to make some tough calls'' as interim leader.
Greenville officials praise Jenney for his work there.
As superintendent of South Carolina's largest school district, Jenney has ``done an excellent job,'' said Greenville School Board Chairman Bill Brooks. He credits the superintendent for introducing a magnet schools program and for flattening the leadership structure to reduce administrative jobs.
Jenney also has increased the district's financial reserves. ``Finance is one of his strong points,'' Brooks said. ``If you have financial problems, he's the one to deal with it.''
Former Virginia Beach City Manager Aubrey V. Watts Jr., now city manager in Greenville, said Jenney has done a good job as superintendent and has worked well with city and county government.
Jenney said by phone Wednesday that he is not frightened by the Beach district's fiscal situation.
``If you look at the total profile of the district, there are a lot of good things going on,'' he said.
Jenney said he was impressed by the district's record of student achievement and innovations such as the international baccalaureate program and site-based management.
Jenney, who is in his fourth superintendent's post in 12 years, acknowledged that his goal of running a large school district has caused him to move quickly through some jobs. But, Jenney added, he is looking forward ``to being able to settle in'' to a post.
``In every district I've been in . . . I've left them in better condition than I've entered them,'' he said.
Jenney also acknowledged that current tensions and divisions among the Greenville board members, although not directed at him, contributed to his decision to look at other jobs just over a year after arriving there.
``Given the current environment, I need to keep my options open,'' he said.
Bowers, the candidate from Ohio, was reached by phone at his home outside Columbus.
He praised the Beach system. ``It's a great school district. It has a solid reputation academically.''
Bowers has been apprised of the ongoing deficit controversy and said that the special grand jury will bring the community to a fuller understanding of what happened.
``It's certainly being addressed in a way that should clear the air in terms of whether there was wrongdoing, or simply human error in terms of not being careful,'' he said.
Bowers, a former school treasurer, was confident of his ability to deal with the budget deficit.
``Those problems can be avoided with careful attention to detail and good communication,'' Bowers said. ``I believe highly in being open with finances so that people know where their tax dollars are being spent and know clearly how they're being spent.''
Although he runs a district a quarter of the size of Virginia Beach's, Bowers said he has no reservations about taking charge of a larger, more complex system.
``I'm capable of doing that,'' he said. ``I'm comfortable with my skills. When I came to this district from Yancey County (in Burnsville, N.C.), which had 2,700 students, I made this job a success. I'm in my ninth year here.
``Talk to people here and you'll find that people are relatively pleased with what I've done.''
Bowers received praise from Krista Stastyshyn, president of the five-member elected school board.
``He has a management style that is conducive to involvement from the board and the community,'' Stastyshyn said. ``He listens but at the same time he provides sound recommendations to the board and keeps the vision of the district in mind.''
Stastyshyn said Bowers is ``very academically oriented'' and has pushed for the expansion of programs for at-risk students while focusing on raising the graduation requirements for all students.
News that the district's chief educator may leave caught Stastyshyn off guard.
``I'm surprised,'' she said. ``We just gave him a five-year contract and a very complimentary evaluation. We didn't anticipate that he would be looking beyond the district at this point.''
``We value him,'' she added. ``He gives us a lot of visionary leadership in our district.''
Not everyone in Virginia Beach is satisfied with the search's progress.
Board member Ulysses Van Spiva said he felt the process was moving too quickly and that he wanted the opportunity to look at more of the resumes submitted. Although board members saw profiles of several of the 39 candidates, they only had resumes of the five they interviewed earlier this month.
``Given the situation in Virginia Beach right now, we can only afford the best,'' he said. ``I personally am not ready to name finalists.''
Other board members, however, said they were pleased with the three who remained in the running.
Elsie M. Barnes said she was impressed with Bowers' ability to ``balance programs for a wide range of student needs'' and that Jenney seemed to work well with his local community and could ``get a grasp on the financial situation'' here.
Donald F. Bennis was impressed with the length of Bowers' tenure in his current job. ``We're looking at some stability here,'' he said. ``But I realize there are no guarantees for the future.''
Both men ``appeared to have strong financial backgrounds,'' Bennis said.
``The candidates we looked at were exceptional,'' Kernutt said. ``These three appeared to be the best fit for Virginia Beach.'' MEMO: Staff writer Lorraine Eaton contributed to this report.
BOB BOWERS
Age: 45
Family status: married, two sons. His wife, Sherry, is a high-school
teacher
Hometown: Chuckey, Tenn.
Education: B.A. at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, N.C.; M.A. at
Western Carolina University, in Cullowhee, N.C.; doctorate from East
Tennessee State, in Johnson City, Tenn.
Current position: superintendent of South-Western City School
District in Grove City, Ohio
Student population: 17,844
Number of schools: 28
Operating budget (1995-96): $87 million
Years served in South-Western: Eight
Previous experience: superintendent of Yancey County Schools in
Burnsville, N.C.
TIMOTHY R. JENNEY< Age: 43
Family status: Married with three children
Hometown: Battle Creek, Mich.
Education: B.A. in education and Ph.D in educational administration
from Michigan State University and M.A. in educational administration
from Western Michigan University
Current position: Superintendent of Greenville County (S.C.)
Schools.
Student population: 56,000
Number of schools: 84
Operating budget (1995-96): $300 million
Years served in Greenville: In second year
Previous experience: Superintendent, Union Public Schools, Tulsa,
Okla., 1990-94; Parchment (Mich.) School District, 1985-90; Leland
(Mich.) Public Schools, 1983-85. Has worked as an elementary and junior
high school teacher, a principal, director of special education and an
assistant superintendent.
JAMES L. PUGHSLEY
Age: Unavailable
Family status: Married; one adult child
Hometown: Tucson, Ariz.
Education: B.S. in elementary education from Northern Arizona
University, M.Ed. in elementary education and educational administration
and Ed.D. in educational administration from the University of Arizona
Current position: Interim superintendent of Virginia Beach Public
Schools
Student population: 77,000
Number of schools: 82 schools and centers
Operating budget (1995-96): $358 million
Years served in Virginia Beach: Two
Previous experience: Deputy superintendent, Virginia Beach Public
Schools, 1993 to July 1995; superintendent, Monroe City (La.) Schools,
1990-92; associate superintendent, Clark County (Nev.) Schools, 1979-90.
Has served as a teacher, Title 1 coordinator, principal and director of
elementary schools
ILLUSTRATION: Color photos
Bob Bowers
Timothy R. Jenney
Photo
James L. Pughsley
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS VIRGINIA BEACH SCHOOL
BOARD by CNB