News
Schools chief search begins
Jeff Schmucker
Published: November 3, 2012
BROOKSVILLE - School board members are poised to choose committee members to help pick the top applicants of those who could be this district's next superintendent.Published: November 3, 2012
During the 2 p.m. Tuesday public workshop, school board members will choose from a list of district administrators, union and non-union employees as well as a professional/technical worker to partially fill seats on the 11-member committee.
Each of the five school board members also get to choose a representative. Board Chairwoman Cynthia Moore and Vice Chairman Matt Foreman have stated they already know who they'll recommend. Foreman stated publicly last week that he wants Economic Development Manager Mike McHugh.
The only other known person to sit on the committee at this time is Joe Vitalo, president of the Hernando Classroom Teachers Association, to represent one of the union members.
The 11 administrators who have applied to sit on the committee include Eric Williams, director of school improvement; Doug Compton, director of transportation; elementary school principals Debi Vermette, Mary LeDoux and Mark Griffith; Parrot Middle School Principal Brent Gaustad, assistant principals Bob Beach, Robert Dill, Nancy Johnson and Michael Maine; and Melissa Harts, director of technology and information services.
Barbara Kidder, manager of professional development and former principal of Fox Chapel Middle School, and Marcia Austin, supervisor of high school curriculum, also have applied under the category of professional/technical employees.
According to the draft calendar, applications will be accepted between Nov. 1 and Nov. 30, with the advisory group spending the early part of 2013 poring through submitted resumes to submit their recommendations for interviews to be held in March.
Superintendent Bryan Blavatt announced in December that this school year would be his last, saying he would like to retire and allow someone new to take over.
He has indicated he is not involved in the search for his replacement, although he has been willing thus far to offer advice on the matter.
Thus far, school board members have agreed to the salary range of $100,000 to $130,000 and to require each applicant have a master's degree in education at minimum.
In other business, school board members are expected to:
Compton wrote in the agenda that the position would help save $64,800 by allowing for the offsite storage of 15 buses.
The person hired also would assist with management, training and safety-related issues.
Board members can only discuss the hire during a workshop but can not take a formal vote until an official meeting.
jschmucker@hernandotoday.com (352) 544-5271