The decision on who will be the next Clinton County Schools Superintendent is closer to being in the hands of the board of education after Monday evening’s meeting of the Superintendent Search Committee.
The Search Committee met December 11 in a lengthy closed session to continue its review of applicants and narrowed the number of finalists down to three possible names that could be presented to the board for consideration.
Of the remaining applicants, all three are in-state, one is male and two are female.
Since superintendent applicants’ names are kept completely confidential, it isn’t known at this time if any of the original eight persons who completed the application are from Clinton County.
The Search Committee was in charge of reviewing and screening all applications submitted, and eventually narrowing the field of candidates that could possibly be submitted to the full school board, which will make the ultimate hiring decision.
Following the meeting of the Search Committee on Monday night, the Clinton County News learned that before any names of possible superintendent candidates are presented to the full board of education, the Search Committee was planning on completing more background research on these three finalists.
The six-member Search Committee was selected several months ago, when the vacancy became official following the resignation of Dr. Paula Little.
Since that time, Boyd Randolph, of Somerset, who has served in various capacities in education, including Interim Superintendent, was named such in Clinton County effective July 1 of this year. He will be leaving that post at the end of the year, with a permanent schools chief to take over in January 2024.
With a new superintendent to be in place in a matter of weeks, the Search Committee has had to work diligently to review and screen the applicants and make a recommendation of finalists to the school board.
The committee first held a joint meeting with the board of education, followed by a meeting of their own, on November 28, to begin the application review process.
As part of the charge to the Search Committee given in late November by school board chairwoman Leslie Stockton, the first was to maintain confidentiality of applicants.
Another calls for the committee to “meet with the board on a date to be determined for the purpose of formally recommending and discussing candidates.”
Such a meeting, to be announced later, will also be held in closed session due to confidentiality of applicants and potential personnel matters.
The full school board will apparently seek to interview the finalists recommended by the Search Committee and soon after vote on hiring a permanent superintendent.
The Superintendent Search Committee is being guided through the process by KSBA (Kentucky School Board Association) Field Consultant Tim Eaton, who has assisted the county in the same capacity for quite sometime.
Of the total number of applications received, six were male, two were female, only one applicant was from out-of-state and seven in-state. Also, no current superintendent applied.
Original applicants for the position included four central office employees, two principals, and two teachers.
The school board is scheduled to hold its monthly work session this Thursday, December 14, at 5 p.m., and its business meeting Monday, December 15, also at 5 p.m. Both sessions will be held at the Clinton College & Career Center on Hwy. 90 West and are open to the public.
Further information pertaining to the hiring of a permanent superintendent will be announced as it is made  available.