First of three superintendent candidates interviewed Monday

The Hartselle City Schools board of education interviewed the first of three superintendent candidates Monday night. District leaders and stakeholders gathered at the central office while board members interviewed Holly Sutherland, who is currently the superintendent of Haleyville City Schools, a position she has held since 2017. 

Sutherland was one of 16 applicants narrowed to three finalists who will sit for public interviews this week.  

Before taking the position in her hometown of Haleyville, Sutherland spent three years as principal of Haleyville High School. She also served in Hoover City Schools as 12th-grade principal for six years and assistant principal for two years. Sutherland began her career as an elementary teacher in Hoover and Auburn, teaching for six years. Sutherland currently leads a school system of 1,600 students across three schools.  

Sutherland said her philosophy has been rooted in communication and community engagement.  

“We all have to be interconnected, we have to be on the same page, and we have to communicate that to all the stakeholders who are involved in our community and in our school district. You know, when I started in Haleyville City schools … we were really not where we wanted to be. We were not bad, but we were not where we wanted to be.”  

Under Sutherland’s leadership, the district has gone from an 80 on the state report card to its current score of 92.  

Chronic absenteeism in her district has dropped from 17 to seven percent, with two schools being under three percent. Additionally, 69 percent of students at Haleyville City Schools were college and career ready in 2017 as compared to 98 percent today. The district has also increased its graduation rate from 88 to 98 percent, Sutherland said.  

“We’ve worked very hard to make sure that we’re doing the right things for kids because when kids are in school, when you have a quality staff, that’s all on the same page and has a common vision and a common mission for what our students can become, we’re all more successful,” Sutherland said. “I’m a supporter. I’m the one who wants everyone else to succeed, and I want to provide every resource that I can to help your district move into the next phase of success.”  

Sutherland added getting to a level of success is hard but sustaining excellence is even harder.   

“I think to sustain that takes a lot of resources and a lot of guidance and a lot of support from a central office staff and an administrator … Often it’s not that they need a boss, they just need support. They need a friend. They need somebody to say, ‘You got this, you can do it. I believe in you. I believe in what your school’s doing.’ And I think that is probably my biggest strength, is just to hold others up and to help them be successful. I think your leaders, who I met with today, have the capacity to do anything that they want to do in their schools.” 

Sutherland emphasized the importance of fostering a collaborative culture among principals and central office leaders. She described the central office as “the backbone of the organization,” explaining that its primary role should be to support schools—not to burden them with unrealistic expectations or initiatives developed without stakeholder input. Sutherland said collaboration begins with a shared vision and mission to reach goals, adding that central office staff should work behind the scenes to uplift principals and teachers by ensuring they have the resources and support needed to succeed. 

Sutherland also highlighted her commitment to career and technical development, noting 87 percent of students in her district are enrolled in career tech courses. She attributed this high participation rate to greater accessibility, as many of the programs are now offered on campus. Sutherland spoke passionately about how career tech programs “save lives” by giving students purpose, particularly those who may not pursue a traditional four-year college path. With fewer than 40 percent of students in her district planning to attend a two- or four-year college, she emphasized the importance of preparing all students for the workforce. She meets regularly with local manufacturers and advisory councils to assess workforce readiness, asking what skills students may be lacking and how schools can better prepare them. 

When asked about the role of technology in education, Sutherland told the board that technology should be used to truly enhance instruction—not replace it. “I don’t think anything replaces a teacher,” she said. Sutherland advocated for sending tech-savvy teachers to targeted professional development and then having them return to train others.  

Sutherland ended her interview by praising Hartselle City Schools, its leaders and students. She said if chosen, she would be honored to lead the district to the next era of success. 

“I’ve spent time in prayer about it … this district is one that I think I would be honored to lead—because of the direction you’re going in and the effort and time you’ve put into developing such a strong community. And, you know, as far as the faith-based foundation is concerned, I can tell that it carries over into your community, into how people live and into their integrity as leaders. That’s something I’d truly like to be a part of,” she said.  

Sutherland and her husband Heath have two sons, Whitt, 20, who will graduate from Auburn University next May, and Will, 14, who will be entering the ninth grade this fall. 

Two more finalists will be interviewed this week. The chosen candidate will earn between $185,000 to $225,000 annually, plus benefits. 

Rachel Poovey is currently the assistant superintendent of teaching and learning at Trussville City Schools. Poovey will sit for her interview May 14 at 5 p.m.  

On May 15, the board will interview deputy superintendent of Calhoun County Schools Tony Dowdy at 5 p.m.  

Public receptions at the Burleson Fine Arts Center are scheduled immediately following the interviews.