The Selma City School System is moving forward with its mission to find its next superintendent.

On Thursday, the Selma Board of Education and the Alabama Association of School Boards considered the general qualifications and salary range for the job. The Selma City School board has plans to vote on both Tuesday during its regularly scheduled board meeting.

“What we actually do want to start doing is pre-screening starting next week,” Board Attorney Katy Campbell said.

Campbell recommended that the state’s qualifications be included and that a master’s degree is required and doctorate degree is preferred. She went on to ask the board to consider their requirements for residency and the salary range.

The board agreed that the new central officer employee should live in Selma but had a lengthener discussion about salaries.

Since former superintendent Gerald Shirley had a $102,000 per year, Campbell recommended the salary range be between $102,000 and $130,000. She also mentioned that it’s crucial to consider the salaries that other districts pay their superintendents.

Acting Selma Superintendent of Education Larry DiChiara said that the school board should keep in mind that the system is dealing with a situation that may initially deter some candidates. He suggested that the board recommend a higher salary than they originally planned to Tuesday to appeal to possible applicants.

“This is a school district that is under state intervention,” DiChiara said. “There may be some hesitancy, so you want to offer something to make them want to come even more.”

DiChiara said that no matter the salary range they select, it would be negotiable.

DiChiara said the goal is to have the final selection for the position to be made in March, at the latest, with the new superintendent to be on the job by June 1.

The next school board meeting is set for Tuesday, Jan. 13 at the Selma High School Library on Broad Street. It’s scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Board member Udo Ufomadu sparked a discussion about experience and whether or not the hired superintendent should be required to enroll any child he or she has in a Selma City school.

For Ufomadu, it wasn’t a difficult choice.

“If the superintendent is supposed to have students been our school system, and they’re not in our school system, what message does that send?” Ufomadu said. “We have to be careful here.”

While DiChiara and board President Henry Hicks said they understood Ufomadu’s point, they said it would be best if they limit the restrictions they tied to the position.

For AASB representative James Wright, limiting restriction was a method he agreed the board should follow during the hiring process. He attended the Thursday work session and helped guide the board through the discussion on behalf of AASB, the agency the board unanimously voted to assist them in their search.

“Dr. Wright is just trying to warn you to be careful about being too restrictive, because your pool [can get smaller,]” state intervention leader DiChiara said. “We, right now, want your pool to be as big as possible, so you can have as many choices as possible. If we can give you some words of wisdom one way or the other to increase that pool, we’re going to try to do that.”