Vickie Poe, the Dallas County School System testing coordinator, central office supervisor and counselor, will now be taking on additional responsibilities as the new assistant superintendent of education.

The Dallas County Board School board approved Dallas County Board of Education superintendent Don Willingham’s recommendation Wednesday to hire Poe as the assistant superintendent.

“I am humble to be where I’m at today,” Poe said. “I wouldn’t be here without the love and support of individuals in the district that have partnered with me to make a better tomorrow for our students.”

Willingham said Poe, who he described as a team player, has built a good rapport with her fellow supervisor as an employee of the Dallas County School System for 15 years.

“All the applicants were great,” Willingham said. “She just brought some things to the table that I thought would be a good fit.”

Board president Mark Story, vice president Roy Edwards and member Peggy Williamson and voted in favor Willingham’s recommendation while members Carolyn Bates and William Minor voted against it.

The list of applicants, which were interviewed by Willingham and former assistant superintendent Hattie Shelton, included principals and supervisors within the Dallas County School System and school leaders from outside of the system.

Willingham said it would cost the system about $131,000 yearly to bring in someone from outside of the school system or a principal within the school system, considering the system would have to hire a replacement for the principal position. It would cost and estimated $25,000 yearly to supplement a supervisor within the school system to take on the duties of an assistant superintendent along with their original job responsibilities, Willingham said.

The system earned a federal School Improvement Grant last year, which Willingham said brings in $7 to $8 million to the system over the course of three years. The grant money, which was partly used to fund several employee salaries, has been reduced some each year with the grant being cut to $700,000 for this upcoming final year.

“That’s what’s going on through our head when we interview the candidates,” Willingham said. “If someone was just far better than everybody else, that maybe changes the ball game. If all else is equal, we can’t overlook that.”

Minor said he would like to hire someone outside of the school system that someone could bring in innovative ideas and talents, such as additional grant knowledge.

Bates said she had someone else in mind she felt would be a better fit for the position.

Like Willingham, Edwards said he strongly considered the financially aspect of the hiring process.

“I don’t think we’re a big enough system financially to bring in a top level administrator, someone with impeccable skills and impeccable resume,” Edwards said. “Actually, they would still have to sit there a year and a half and learn our system, personnel and how we operate and we’re just not big enough.”