After a 90-minute executive session Decatur’s school board quickly adjourned a called meeting Thursday morning without naming a successor to Superintendent Phyllis Edwards, or even a list of finalists.
It appeared Wednesday the board was poised to name the school system’s 10th superintendent since 1902. An action item listed with Thursday’s meeting announcement stated “Superintendent Search Finalist announcement if process is complete,” but that item was suddenly deleted Wednesday afternoon. Instead the board has scheduled another “Superintendent Search Update” meeting for 8:30 a.m. Oct. 2 at the Central Office/Beacon Municipal Center, 125 Electric Ave.
Given that Thursday was an executive session, Chairman Garrett Goebel said he couldn’t comment about the board’s deliberations. But it now appears the board’s search, which began in May, will surpass its September deadline.
Decatur received more than 85 applications from 38 states, with 20 percent sitting superintendents and about 30 percent either assistant superintendents, chiefs or deputy superintendents. Between Aug. 18 and Sept. 16 the board interviewed eight finalists.
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