The six-member Superintendent Search Screening Committee has apparently completed its portion of the task of narrowing down applicants they best feel suited for Superintendent of Schools, based on the criteria they had to go by in conducting interviews with several applicants.

The Screening Committee met for the second time jointly with the Clinton County Board of Education at a special meeting held Monday night, which saw all members of the committee and all school board members present.

The session lasted just a shade over two hours, with all but about 10 minutes of that being in closed session. Some 45 minutes into the joint meeting with the board, the Screening Committee members were released but discussions continued for a little over an hour with the board of education, Attorney Lindsey Bell and KSBA consultant Butch Canty, who has assisted the board and screening committee with the application screening process.

Up to 15 total applications had originally been submitted for the Clinton County Schools Superintendent position, to replace retiring superintendent Mickey McFall, who will be stepping down after June 30. However, at an earlier meeting, the board, which will now ultimately make a final decision on who is hired, directed the committee to basically not consider “out-of-state” applicants, which basically narrowed the field to nine perspective applicants.

The total number of local applications submitted has not been disclosed. However, apparently the committee, on Monday night, submitted three names to the board that they felt were the best applicants from among those interviewed over the past couple of weeks.

Although the committee only submitted three names to the board, more candidates for the position could be interviewed for the job at the board’s discretion.

Upon returning to open session, no official action of any nature pertaining to the superintendent applicants was taken and neither did the board disclose “how many” final applicants would be interviewed. The only official announcement made was that the interview process for the superintendent’s position will begin on Friday, May 4. Those interviews will also be conducted behind closed doors.

While in closed session, board chairman Ned Davis had to leave the meeting for personal reasons and the remainder of the meeting was conducted by vice-chair Paula Key.

The board also dealt with one other item of business that was on the agenda prior to adjourning, that being the elimination of some positions.

Superintendent McMall noted that most of the positions were those involved with federal grants or programs that had either run out or were no longer being funded.

Some positions involved special needs children that have since moved out of the school previously attended.

The superintendent noted that the board would be presented a working budget next month and although it would be balanced, it would be tight and some measures will have to be taken–possibly additional staffing cuts–to make the budget balance in the wake of less state funding.

He also said that he had always felt that grants to school districts for helpful programs were something of a “two-edged sword” in that the programs were beneficial when the funds were available, but it hurt when the funding for those grant programs ended.

Board member Junior Cecil, in making the motion to eliminate the positions, which was seconded by board member Goldie Stonecipher, said he hated to do it (make the motion).

The following positions were eliminated: Director of Gear-Up (certified); Gear-Up Clerical assistant (classified); Bulldog Academy teaching position; Transition Teaching position and aide position (Early Childhood Center); Director of Safe Schools/Healthy Students position; Director of Safety; Mentoring Project Director; Mentoring Case Manager; Safe School/Healthy Student’s portion of Community Education position; two paraprofessionals (Clinton County Middle School); and two grade level aides (Albany Elementary School), effective at the conclusion of the school year.

The next regular meeting of the Clinton County Board of Education is scheduled for Monday, May 14 at 5 p.m. at the Central Office and is open to the public.