Editor’s note: The following is a press release from the Pearl River County School District concerning efforts to fill an empty superintendent position within the district.

The Pearl River County School District Board contracted with the Mississippi School Boards Association (MSBA) to assist in the search for the new superintendent of the Pearl River County School District.

An announcement advertising the superintendent vacancy and outlining the basic qualifications for the superintendent, which were set by the Board, was prepared by MSBA and posted online at the MSBA website with the application on August 3, 2022. MSBA sent an email to over 5,000 people on the MSBA mailing list announcing the search and requesting assistance in publicizing the vacancy. All inquiries to MSBA were answered.

The deadline to receive applications was set as September 2, 2022. All completed applications which were submitted on or before the deadline were accepted and processed. An online survey was made available for two weeks to the district’s stakeholder groups in order to gather information regarding the characteristics of the new superintendent and priorities for the district. Results from all surveys were compiled by MSBA and provided to the Board members for use in the interview process and as a foundation for making the decision as to who will be the new superintendent.

Mrs. Denotris Jackson, MSBA Executive Director, and Dr. Tommye Henderson, MSBA Superintendent Search Manager, met with the Board to review the applications on October 25, 2022. There are 11 applicants for the superintendent position. Six of the applicants are male, and five of the applicants are female. Six of the applicants have a doctorate degree. Ten of the applicants are from Mississippi, and one applicant is from Louisiana.

A determination was made as to whether each applicant met the qualifications to be a superintendent in Mississippi as defined in the Mississippi Code of 1972, 37-9-13, which went into effect on July 1, 2017, or met the Mississippi Department of Education Alternative Qualifications for Prospective District Superintendents of Education.

References were checked, and background checks were completed. Personal contacts were made to gain additional information about each applicant.

Each application was reviewed, analyzed, and evaluated according to the criteria set by the Pearl River County School District board members, which included a minimum of three years of experience in an “A” or “B” school or district, or experience in moving a school or district to an “A” or “B” rating, a recent documented track record of raising the achievement level of all students, skill as an effective communicator, the ability to recruit, retain, and invest in the development of highly qualified personnel, a commitment to being an active and visible member of the community, and the ability to engage parents and community stakeholders in the life of the school.

The Board members received the report and all application materials. Board members will use the report and materials to determine the next course of action.