The Yazoo City Municipal School District School Board met Wednesday afternoon and heard that there were 15 applicants for the school district's superintendent position.
According to Dr. Mike Waldrop, executive director of the Mississippi School Boards Association (MSBA), “the Board received the report and has taken it under advisement to study and to determine the next course of action.”
According to a press release Waldrop issued Thursday morning, among the 15 applicants, there are “five with superintendence experience either a superintendent, interim superintendent or previous superintendent; two assistant superintendents; a chief academic officer; a federal programs director; three school principals; an athletic director; and a health care administrator. Four of the applicants have a doctorate degree. There are three female applicants and 12 male applicants.”
Contacted after the meeting, school board President John Wallace deferred any comments to Waldrop, and said only that the board met a couple of hours during the 1 p.m. meeting Wednesday. Shortly after opening the meeting, the trustees went into executive session to discuss the superintendent selection process.
Last year, the school board contracted with the MSBA to assist in conducting the search for a new school district superintendent. Former Superintendent Dr. Arthur Cartlidge resigned last summer. Since then, Lucille Lovette has served as interim superintendent. Lovette has not indicated whether she is a candidate for the position.
In contracting with the MSBA, the trustees agreed upon the criteria to be used for the screening and reporting process.
A brochure was prepared and a memorandum from Waldrop was mailed to education leaders and to public relations professionals requesting that the announcement concerning the vacancy be posted. The deadline to receive applications was Jan. 29.
“All completed applications received which were postmarked on or before Jan. 29, 2016, were accepted and processed,” Waldrop said.
