Committee will choose from 18 to head schools

DECATUR — Local and state hiring committees will have 18 applicants to choose from when searching for the next superintendent of the Decatur School District.

The search for a new superintendent began in January when the Arkansas Board of Education voted to remove Decatur from its fiscal distress status and made plans to hold a local school board election in September.

Now that the district’s financial situation is under control, state appointed superintendent LeRoy Ortman plans to return to retirement. Shortly after the Board of Education meeting, he submitted a letter announcing his resignation effective June 30.

Since a school board won’t be put in place to make hiring decisions until after the September elections, a committee of ADE staff will be working with a committee of six community members to choose the next superintendent.

The Arkansas Department of Education sent 18 pre-screened applications to the local committee to be considered for the position, Ortman said. All of the job seekers were certified and some of them had experience serving as superintendents at other districts. The closest applicant was from Gravette, while others were from out of state, Ortman said.

The committee met to review the applications last week, and again on Tuesday after press time, with the goal of choosing five names to submit to the ADE, Ortman said.

The two committee’s will have to come to a consensus on three to five people to interview, Ortman said. Interviews are tentatively scheduled for April 23, and ADE staff will be traveling to Decatur to conduct the interviews together with members of the local committee.

State commissioner of education Dr. Tom Kimbrell will make the final decision based on their recommendations.