Jefferson County Schools put superintendent search on hold

July 12, 2007|By DAVE McMILLION

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. - Jefferson County Schools officials said Tuesday they might hold off on selecting a replacement for former Jefferson County Schools Superintendent R. Steven Nichols.

Nichols accepted a superintendent job in Staunton, Va., and his last day in Jefferson County was June 30, school officials said.

Susan K. Wall, who has worked as the principal of Jefferson High School and associate superintendent of schools in the county, has been named interim superintendent of schools.

Nichols was not expecting the job offer in Virginia and by the time he left, it was considered late in the year to begin searching for a new superintendent, Jefferson County Board of Education members Pete Dougherty and Scott Sudduth said.

With a new school year approaching, most superintendents looking for a new job have found jobs by now, said Dougherty, president of the Board of Education.

The best time to search for a superintendent is in the spring, Dougherty said.

If school officials would have known sooner that Nichols was leaving, they could have started advertising the job vacancy sooner, Sudduth said.

School officials said they felt filling the job now would be "rushing it," Sudduth said.

"We want to get in synch with the normal academic year," Sudduth said.

Dougherty said the Board of Education is expected to decide how to proceed next month.

"It may be Susan (Wall) herself," Dougherty said regarding a possible person for the job.

If the search is delayed, Board of Education member Alan Sturm said he would like to see interviews for the job held next spring.

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