Superintendent Search: I-SS board meets in closed session, selects applicants for interviews

Posted on by Mike Fuhrman

BY KARISSA MILLER

The Iredell-Statesville Board of Education met in closed session Wednesday afternoon to evaluate the applications from individuals who want to be the district’s next the superintendent.

The application period closed on January 31. The school board hopes to have Superintendent Brady Johnson’s successor in place on July 1.

School board members met behind closed doors for approximately 90 minutes during Wednesday’s meeting.

According to Samuel Kennington, who is serving as the chairman of the superintendent search committee, the board discussed the candidates at the top of their lists and selected a handful of candidates to bring in for interviews.

The board, which conducted a national search without the assistance of a professional firm, announced in February that the district received 12 completed applications for the position.

Kennington said the meeting was closed to the public on the advice of board attorney Costi Kutteh. 

Under state law, the board can meet in a closed session to protect the confidentiality of applicants to review employment and appointment applications.

The board did not disclose the number of applicants selected for interviews. 

According to their timeline, candidate interviews will be held in March and April. The board hopes to announce a hire in May.

OTHER BUSINESS

In related matters, the board has added responsibilities to a pair of administrators in anticipation of the retirement of Deputy Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Melanie Taylor.

Rather than approving Taylor’s replacement this school year, the board will approve raises for Jonathan Ribbeck, executive director of elementary education and title I, and Kelly Cooper, executive director of secondary education, district officials stated.

The two will continue in their current roles, but also carry out half of Taylor’s job each.

According to school board member Charles Kelly, the next superintendent will likely have the final word on who will be selected for the deputy superintendent position.

Kelly, who has been through the superintendent search process before, cautioned that the school system could see a tremendous amount of administrative changes by the end of summer.

“We have a possibility of a domino effect,” Kelly explained. “A new superintendent could come in and decide that they want to bring in some (new) staff and change things up.”