Huntsville principal is leading prospect

By Staff
Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
A 10-member screening committee has completed its task of evaluating and checking references on 14 applications for superintendent of Hartselle City Schools.
The result is a list of numerically ranked candidates which was placed in the hands of the school board on Monday, according to Ronnie Abercrombie, chairman.
The candidates are ranked as follows: (1) Janet Irons Harris, (2) William Michael Reed, (3) Joe David Walters (4) Jeremy Joseph Jones, (5) William David Burns (6) S. Joanne P. Horton, (tie for 7) David King, Harold Brian Clayton and Roderick Keith Swisher, (10) Anita Buckley Commander, (11) Donald (Don) Cox, (12) Jean Gober Lollar, (13) William M. Booth and (14) Ginger Waldrep Hogeland.
Harris, the top-ranked candidate, is a principal in the Huntsville city school system. Candidates from within the Hartselle school system, Walters and Booth, are ranked third and 13th, respectively.
Committee members reviewed all 14 application packages and assigned scores based on a criteria they had previously adopted, according to Frank Parker, chairman. The individual scores were combined to come up with the numerical ranking. Finally, references on each application were checked for accuracy by at least three committee members. Written reports on their findings were due in Parker's hands not later than last Friday.
Abercrombie said the committee will formally present its ranked candidate list to the school board on Thursday evening. along with an explanation of how the scores were determined.
Although the committee's work ended Nov. 15, it may be asked to join the board in a work session after that date, Abercrombie stated.
"When the committee was formed some of its members asked for the opportunity to submit questions which they'd like to be used in the interview phase," he said. "I think that's a good idea. It would help for all of us to get together and go over the questions and make sure we're all on the same page before interviews start."
Abercrombie said he anticipates that the board will begin the interview phase around the first of December and complete it before the school system's Christmas break. The interviews are expected to last about two hours and will be limited to one per evening. They will be open to the public.