Leading candidate opts for Cullman

By Staff
Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
The list of candidates for superintendent of Hartselle schools was reduced from 13 to 12 last week when Janet Irons Harris, principal of Huntsville High School, accepted a similar position with Cullman City Schools.
Harris, 44, emerged as a top contender for the Hartselle superintendent's post when a 10-member committee completed the screening and evaluation of application packages Nov. 15. Her name was at the top of a ranked list of 13 candidates, which was placed in the hands of the school board at its last regular meeting Nov.19.
The Cullman School Board chose Harris over five other finalists on Nov. 25th. Her appointment is effective Jan. 3, 2005.
Hartselle School Board chairman Ronnie Abercrombie said Friday he had not received a request from Harris to remove her name from consideration.
"If what I have read and heard is accurate, I expect that to happen," he added.
"The process we have put in place to find a new superintendent will continue to move forward and we will seek out the best possible available candidate for the position."
Ranked second on the candidate list is William Michael Reed, Butler County superintendent. Joe Walters, principal of Crestline Elementary School, is ranked third.
The school board plans to meet Dec. 9 to set up procedures for the interview phase and to decide which ones of the remaining candidates it wants to interview.