The Cumberland County Board of Education met on Wednesday night in a regular scheduled meeting, with selection of the next superintendent of schools as one of the agenda items.

Over the past three months, the board had gone through an extensive selection process led by the Kentucky School Boards’ Association. After accepting applications for 30 days, they developed a screening committee made up of individuals who would be representative of stakeholder groups which included: one parent, one classified employee, two certified employees, one principal, and one school board member. The role of the committee was to research the references and background information on all 16 of the applications received.

The board of education met with the screening committee on April 10 and directed them to narrow the field of applicants to at least three and no more than five candidates to be recommended to the full board of education, who would make the final selection at the May board meeting.

The screening committee did thorough reference and background checks on every applicant, then met with the board of education again on April 26 and presented three applicants whom they recommended for full board consideration.

The three candidates recommended by the screening committee were Marvin Welch, who is currently assistant superintendent in the Madison County schools; David Murray, who is currently principal of Paces Creek Elementary School and Glen Murphy, who is currently principal of Cumberland County Middle School.

The board of education held interviews of the three finalists the following week.

Following the interviews, the board indicated to the finalists they had selected David Murray as the next superintendent and would finalize that decision, as required by law, with a vote at the next public meeting.

At that meeting, however, after several community members and board personnel spoke in support of hiring Glen Murphy as superintendent, the board officially selected Murphy as the next schools’ superintendent. His duties will begin on July 1.