The Whitley County Board of Education has selected a new superintendent for the first time in nearly two decades.
The Whitley County Board of Education met in executive session for about 74 minutes Tuesday evening before returning to regular session and voting unanimously to hire Deputy Superintendent Scott Paul as the district’s new superintendent.
"I’m just really, really happy to be a part of such a great school system," Paul said. "We have had such tremendous leadership under Mr. Anderson the last 19 plus years. I’m just really excited to work with this district and its employees and to continue to move the district forward."
Paul said that he wanted the superintendent’s job because it gives him the opportunity to affect an even greater number of students than what he did as a principal.
"I want to keep the school system going in the direction that it is going, which is on the way up," Paul said.
Paul will replace retiring Superintendent Lonnie Anderson, who announced in August that his 19th year as superintendent would be his last. Anderson is retiring effective June 30, and Paul will officially assume his new duties on July 1.
J.E. Jones, who has been on the board of education for 25 years and was a member of the superintendent search committee, said that the last time the board selected a superintendent they went with a local person, which worked out well for the district.
"We didn’t want to be in the situation where we had to hire a new superintendent every year or two as people move on," Jones said. "I think he will be here for a while. He has a lot to live up to."
Board Chairman Delmer Mahan said that the board actually reviewed all 14 applications Tuesday night before unanimously selecting Paul.
Mahan touted not only Paul’s skill and experience, but also his working knowledge of the district as big factors in the decision to hire him.
Paul is a 1984 graduate of Whitley County High School.
He graduated from Cumberland College and began teaching social studies in 1989 at Whitley County High School.
Paul has worked for the district 21 years total serving as a classroom teacher for five years, as assistant principal at the high school for 12 years, and serving three years as head principal at the high school. He also served as athletic director for seven years and was over the extended school service for five years.
In 2009 after the retirement of Kenny Powell, Paul was promoted to Deputy Superintendent.
Paul is married to Karen (Foley) Paul and has two children, Megan and Jacob, who are enrolled in the Whitley County School District.
The search committee could have selected up to four finalists to nominate for the job, but it selected only Paul from a list of 14 applicants.
"We yielded to the recommendations of the search committee because they were right. They hit it right on the head," Mahan said.
The search committee was composed of six people, including a representative from the Board of Education, one school principal, one classified worker, one parent representative and two teachers.
State law, board attorney Tim Crawford said, sets the composition of the search committee.
The Board of Education agreed to give Paul a four-year contract that will run through June 30, 2014. Paul and Crawford were directed to negotiate the details of the contract including compensation, and to report back to the board at a future meeting.
The board commended the work of the search committee, and thanked its members for their efforts.
Also, during Tuesday’s special called meeting, the board:
• Amended the 2009-2010 school calendar, due to a total of 24 missed school days, which is the most in at least 19 years. The final day for students will be June 11, and the final day for teachers will be June 14.
• Heard a nearly five minute presentation from local resident Paul Cummins, who spoke on behalf of the Whitley County Concerned Citizens for Education.
Cummins said that the group feels that more parents are needed in classrooms to help tutor students, and he spoke about ACT test scores for Whitley County students falling below those of most of the state.
Cummins said that out of 230 school systems in the state, Whitley County only ranked 149th in terms of ACT test scores.
He said that district students fellow below the benchmarks by varying degrees in every category including: English, math, science and reading.
Cummins said he feels like students can be conditioned to take the state CATS test, but that they can only score well on the ACT by actually learning.
Cummins said there are about 70 members of the group, but that most of them couldn’t be present at the meeting due to the election or other issues
