Photograph: St. Landry School Board president Joyce Haynes and board attorney Courtney Joiner. (Photograph by Bobby Ardoin.)
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
The identity of those who have applied to become the next St. Landry Parish school superintendent will soon be publicly revealed as board members prepare to conduct interviews.
Board attorney Courtney Joiner said he expects to collect the applications by Thursday and then determine how many of the candidates meet the qualifications for the position that will become effective June 30.
At this point Joiner, who spoke during an interview following an Executive Committee meeting last week, said that he thinks the interview process which will be conducted in open sessions, should begin by April 17.
“It will take some time for (Joiner) to review all the applications and review the qualifications. Then after it is determined who is qualified (to become superintendent), then we will start the interviews,” Joiner added.
Joiner doesn’t think the interview process will become too prolonged or intricate.
“I’m thinking that right now, we should interview only three or four persons. There are currently 16 or 17 openings (for superintendents statewide), so some of these persons applying in St. Landry might also have applied at other places,” Joiner said.
The deadline for applications ended March 24. The need for a new superintendent occurred after current superintendent Patrick Jenkins told board members in February that he was not interested in asking the Board to approve another contract extension.
Board members voted to include a salary range of $135,000 to $160,000 for the new superintendent. Jenkins was hired in 2016 at a salary of $130,000 annually.
The Executive Committee decided with assistance from Joiner, to prepare a list of six questions that would be posed to superintendent candidates during their interview processes.
Joiner told the Committee that it would be necessary to provide the interviewees with the questions that will be asked by board members.
“In all fairness the individuals who are interviewed need to know the questions in order for them to prepare their answers. I think the Board should choose the topic areas and probably six would be a good number. I think the attorney should be the one asking the questions and the board president should be the person who presides,” said board president Joyce Haynes.
Joiner said members of the St. Landry Parish Economic and Development District have indicated that they would like to host a candidate forum.
“This would give the public a chance to ask questions and be introduced to the candidates.
Board member Mary Ellen Donatto said she approves of having a public forum.
“That way, questions and answers will be presented about what the public wants to hear,” said Donatto.
