LITTLE ROCK — The Little Rock School Board on Monday selected Tommy D. Branch Jr., a trainer for the Arkansas Youth Services Division, to fill the School Board Zone 6 vacancy created by the Nov. 1 death of Michael Peterson.
Branch, 39, was one of four applicants interviewed by the School Board at a special meeting during which the board also approved the hiring of McPherson & Jacobson, a Nebraska executive recruitment firm, for $21,500, plus expenses, to help search for the district’s new superintendent.
Branch’s selection Monday was called “extremely disappointing” by one of his competitors.
Drew Pritt, who also interviewed for the seat, said that Branch does not live in Zone 6, as is required, and that Branch’s child attends a private school.
Branch told the School Board in the public interview that he has two children, ages 3 and 11, and that the older child is currently attending a private school but will attend a public school when he starts sixth grade next year.
In an interview after his selection, Branch said his son attends Agape Academy.
As for his residency in Zone 6, Branch said in the interview that he is renovating a house he owns and pays taxes on at 3719 Ludwig St. in the John Barrow Road addition, which is the address he lists on his resume as his home.
He said the renovation work may be done as soon as Christmas but, in the meantime, he is renting a room from a fellow church member in a house across the street from the Ludwig address.
Branch has worked as a case-management coordinator and trainer in the Department of Human Services’ Youth Services Division since 2006. He previously worked for Youth Challenge Program and was the Our Club director for the Step Up Support Center.
Branch ran for the Arkansas House of Representatives earlier this year but lost in a runoff to Charles Armstrong, who held the Zone 6 School Board seat until September, when Peterson was elected.
The son of two ministers and a graduate of J.A. Fair High, Branch has an associate degree from Pulaski Technical College, a bachelor’s degree from Philander Smith College and another bachelor’s degree in public health administration from Camden University, which was an online program. He is married to Parthenia Branch, who owns a hairstyling business. Branch has five siblings in district schools, the result of his mother’s adoptions.
“I have a heart for kids,” Branch told the current six board members in explaining how his work with youth, particularly those in the juvenile justice system, would be an asset to School Board service.
“I don’t like to see kids just hanging around so I go talk to them,” he said. “I’m able to relate to kids where they are and I try to bring them up to where I am.”
Once he is sworn into office, Branch can serve only until the September 2013 School Board election, at which time he can run for election to serve the remaining two years of the three year term.
He said he intends to run for election next September.
Branch had applied for the board seat last week and showed up for his board interview but wavered briefly about going through with the interview.
Questioned by the board about his hesitancy, he said he thought there were other candidates who were well qualified for the position and he didn’t want to “clog” up the process.
Besides Pritt, others who interviewed for the board seat were Laveta Wills-Hale, who ran against Peterson for the seat in September, and Robert Williams. Two other applicants, Michael Booker and Keneasha E. Scott, withdrew from consideration.
Arkansas, Pages 7 on 11/27/2012