THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 17, 1995 TAG: 9512160102
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
SOURCE: Kevin Armstrong
LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
It seems you never can get enough of time or money, but if forced to choose between the two, I'd prefer an extra day to a dollar.
While I profess to being less than proficient at managing either, I've found it much easier to make up lost funds than lost youth.
That's a lesson apparently lost on School Board members. (Make that two: we already know how they handle money.)
They're more anxious to give us a gift for Christmas than many of us are to receive it.
Among those who'd just as soon the board wait until after the holidays to name a permanent superintendent is a citizens panel set up to aid the board in its search for a savior. That group urged the board to hold off on naming a new chief until after the special grand jury completes its task.
They'd be wise to do so.
First, it would dispel any questions about Interim Superintendent Jim Pughsley's role in last year's financial debacle.
Second, it would offer board members the best test available on whether Pughsley's their man. He'd prove on the job if he's capable of getting the district back on track.
And, as far as the other two finalists go, it would give the board much needed time to do a further check on Bob Bowers and Tim Jenney.
We're all hearing a lot of good things from Grove City, Ohio, and Greenville, S.C., about these two, but there's always more that can be learned.
If you've tuned into the talk in Gwinnett County, Ga., lately you'll know that the board there is under fire by some citizens for being so hasty in their appointment of a superintendent last June. That board had planned to visit the districts of their finalists, including Virginia Beach, but stopped short and quickly offered the job to Sid Faucette. There's a lesson to be learned here.
By waiting, our School Board runs the risk of losing a finalist to another possible job offer, but that's sure better than ending up with the wrong candidate in a hurry.
Under state law, the Virginia Beach School Board must request an extension from the state Board of Education to continue operating with an interim superintendent for more than 180 days. The local board has done so. Pughsley's temporary title officially runs out Dec. 30.
That means the best announcement that Virginia Beach residents could receive this Christmas could come from the state board, not our local one. by CNB