Board members still undecided

Published 2:58 pm Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Some school board members in Prince Edward County remain undecided on which partner they prefer to use to help find the next superintendent of the county’s school division.

On Wednesday, the school board will discuss and is set to choose an entity.

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Three providers have made presentations to the school board, including the Virginia School Board Association (VSBA), Longwood University President W. Taylor Reveley IV and BWP and Associates.

During the Feb. 3 meeting of the school board, Buffalo District Representative and Board Chairman Russell Dove said he would like for each board member to come to the Wednesday work session with direction as to their preference for the search.

The work session will be held Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

“I have yet to make my decision,” Prospect District Representative Darin Thomas told The Herald.  He said he wanted to go over the proposals again before making a final decision.

During his presentation to the board, Reveley offered to conduct the search for the school board free of charge on behalf of the university.

The VSBA said it would charge about $5,500 to conduct the search, and BWP associate Kevin Castner said his firm’s proposal was valued at $13,500.

“They all had very positive elements they could contribute,” said Lockett District Representative Dr. Chapman Hood Frazier. “I haven’t totally made my mind up yet.”

He said the offer from Longwood is encouraging, but he also liked the last presentation from BWP.

Frazier said the board has not yet discussed the pros and cons of each search provider.

Division Superintendent Dr. David Smith announced in December that he wouldn’t seek to renew his contract, which expires in June.

According to Dove, the school board has 180 days from July 1 to employ a new superintendent.

“I have not yet made a decision,” said Farmville District Representative Sherry Honeycutt. “The school board will discuss the matter and make their decision together.”

Attempts to reach school board members Dr. Peter Gur, Russell Dove, Dr. Timothy W. Corbett Sr., Dr. Lawrence C. Varner and Beulah Womack were unsuccessful.