Former Arkansas Education Commissioner Tony Wood is one of 12 people from nine states to apply for the job of superintendent of the new Jacksonville/North Pulaski School District.
Another of the applicants is Marvin Burton, the deputy superintendent of the Little Rock School District.
The Jacksonville/North Pulaski district, which was established by order of the Arkansas Board of Education in November but remains part of the Pulaski County Special School District for the time being, is seeking a long-term chief executive to replace interim Superintendent Bobby Lester later this year.
Lester, 70, a retired superintendent, was selected by the new district's interim School Board shortly after the formation of the district to help guide planning for the new system, which will serve an estimated 4,000 students once it separates from the Pulaski County Special district.
Pulaski County Special district leaders expect that detachment to take effect July 1, 2016.
The Jacksonville/North Pulaski board hired McPherson & Jacobson LLC of Omaha, Neb., earlier this year to manage a national search for a superintendent for the new district.
Lester said Friday that he anticipates the board will discuss the search and the candidates at its regularly scheduled meeting, at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Jacksonville City Hall.
Wood, a 42-year educator, already has been closely involved in the early formation of the district. He was the state commissioner from July 1, 2014, until last month, and was deputy commissioner for four years before being commissioner. As commissioner, he simultaneously served as the School Board for the Pulaski County Special district, which has been operating under state control since 2011.
Wood was replaced in the commissioner role March 26 by former state Sen. Johnny Key, who was Gov. Asa Hutchinson's choice for commissioner. Wood has re-assumed the title of deputy commissioner and continues to work at the Department of Education. He is one of two deputies in the agency.
Wood is a former longtime superintendent of the Searcy School District.
"There are wonderful opportunities there that are hand in glove with strong challenges," Wood said about the Jacksonville position. "It's going to be a fairly challenging task, but it's a great community and they have a lot going for them. It speaks real clearly ... that they took the initiative to the degree that they did to provide for their children. I think there's a lot to be said in that."
Jacksonville and other north Pulaski County voters approved the plan to form a new district by 95 percent in an election last September.
Burton, the deputy superintendent in the Little Rock district and a candidate for the Jacksonville/North Pulaski job, is a native of West Memphis but has been a high school science teacher, middle school and high school principal, and associate superintendent in Little Rock.
The other applicants for the job and their current places of residence are:
• Virginia Allen; Chickasha, Okla.
• Michelle Boudreau; Lyndonville, Vt.
• Spencer Byrd; Spring Valley, Ill.
• Bernard Chandler; Tunica, Miss.
• Beverly Culley; Greenville, Miss.
• Diane Gross; Clearwater, Kan.
• Monica Guillory; Kyle, Texas
• Paul Kasunich; Sewickley, Pa.
• Phyllis McDonald; a former principal in the North Little Rock School District.
• Richard Rundhaug; Willcox, Ariz.
Metro on 04/04/2015