Board to announce finalists for Hartselle superintendent job

Finalists from a pool of 16 applicants in the search for the next superintendent of Hartselle City Schools will be announced next week.  

The Hartselle City Schools Board of Education met Tuesday night for a work session to discuss the next steps in the selection process. The board will reconvene May 6 at 6 p.m. to publicly announce the names of the finalists. Public interviews could begin as early as May 12.  

Board attorney Woody Sanderson facilitated the search process, accepting applications through April 18. Of the 16 applicants, eight met the minimum qualifications, and five were deemed “highly qualified” based on resume and work experience. Each board member ranked their top five candidates, assigning them a score from one to five. Sanderson compiled and tallied these rankings and then provided the board with a list of the three highest-ranked candidates, along with ranking scores for two additional candidates. 

However, the selection process has not been without controversy.  

During the work session, board president James Joy criticized board member Daxton Maze for independently soliciting feedback from the central office staff and principals regarding the search—an action Joy said was inconsistent with the board’s agreed-upon hiring process. While Joy emphasized that he welcomes community input throughout the process, he expressed concern that such outreach should be conducted collectively by the board rather than by individual members acting alone.  

Hartselle City Schools board president James Joy

“I like the idea, but I don’t like the approach. Right now, I think it’s important we continue to function as a unit versus (with) Daxton’s questions,” Joy said, adding Maze solicited questions prior to discussing with his fellow board members.  

“They’re not ‘Daxton’s questions,’” Maze replied. “…I don’t think I have to ask the board. I can function as a board member independently should I choose to do so.”  

“Well, I wish you would act as a board member that functions as the unit, okay? Because we are a unit—as an individual, you are powerless. Only as a unit do we have power,” Joy responded. 

Maze defended his actions, explaining that his intent was to gather questions reflecting the concerns of those who live and work in the district. He said he planned to compile and share the responses with the board to create a comprehensive slate of questions that are of interest to school district leadership and community.   

Board member Daxton Maze

“I think we’re all independently thinking about questions,” Maze said. “That’s what I’ve done, is independently solicit to try to find what I think is relevant to this board and to the community.”  

The members agreed to work together before the May 6 meeting to compile a list of interview questions.  

Maze also proposed expanding the finalist pool from three to five candidates, suggesting that the current selections may not include the most qualified applicants.  

“The three finalists that are proposed were not in the top two candidates that I ranked with my grading rubric,” Maze said. “Therefore, I’m making a request that, as one of five board members, we include potentially a fourth or fifth finalist. I don’t know where those candidates are in the ranking rubric, but my assumption is they would be somebody that I desire to be in that pool.  

According to the board’s evaluation data, Joy said, there was a small point difference among the top three candidates. However, there was a more significant gap between those and the fourth and fifth ranked candidates.   

Joy pushed back on Maze’s suggestion, referencing Maze’s own comments from a previous superintendent search.  

“You told me you were concerned that we did not spend enough time with these candidates on their last superintendent hire,” Joy said. “That was your recommendation— you even had a note on your sheet, ‘you’d like to spend more time with each candidate.’  And now that the tabulations have been conducted, you’ve reversed course. To me, that’s not really a team player. That’s more about Daxton Maze; he has an opinion. We’ll honor your opinion, but I don’t think that moves the needle on how a group acts when we’re all here with the same representation.   

Maze remained critical of the process, emphasizing his belief that the finalist pool could be expanded to include more than the three highest ranked candidates.  

“I’m asking to expand that finalist list based on the fact that the three recommended finalists are not candidates that I personally feel would be the best choice to lead the school system,” he said. “Again, that is an individual opinion. I understand (we) are a collective unit, but why not expand? If we’re out to find the best person, why not?”  

Board member Amy Pace defended the existing process, stating that all finalists met the necessary criteria and were evaluated objectively. “They all met the criteria,” she said. “I thought that was the point of ranking them.”   

Board member Amy Pace

Maze countered that the candidates he believes are “better prepared, more experienced, and a better fit to serve this school district” were excluded from the current shortlist.  

The next superintendent of Hartselle City Schools will earn between $185,000 and $225,000 annually, plus benefits. The successful candidate must hold a doctoral degree and reside within Hartselle city limits.  

After finalists are announced May 6, the board will release an interview schedule.