New superintendent to lead Highland schools

— Don Sharp was retired from the education field for 33 days when an opportunity to return to the school setting presented itself.

Sharp, who has about 25 years of experience as a superintendent, joined the Highland School District last August as interim superintendent after his retirement in June from the Cotter School District in Baxter County. In November, Sharp was offered a contract to join the district as superintendent for the 2017-18 school year.

“I did not think I was going to totally quit working,” Sharp said of his brief retirement. “I thought I might do something in the consulting type of position. At the time, I didn’t see myself getting back into the superintendency full time. I wasn’t retired for a full day when I got to thinking, ‘Boy, I sure am going to miss this.’”

Sharp grew up in Evening Shade in Sharp County and did not intend to become an educator when he went to college. He studied agriculture at Arkansas State University-Beebe and ASU-Jonesboro, and received a master’s degree in agriculture education at ASU-Jonesboro.

He began his work in education as an agriculture teacher in Morrilton in 1976. After 2 1/2 years of teaching, he moved back to Sharp County and worked in the Arkansas Department of Health for three years.

“During those three years, I always regretted getting out of education,” he said. “I went back in 1981 and have been there ever since.”

Sharp has worked in Oark as both an agriculture teacher and high school principal, and in St. Paul as principal. He first became a superintendent in Wilburn in Cleburne County, and later at Quitman until he joined the Cotter School District for 14 years.

Sharp said the mindset of a superintendent differs from that of a principal or teacher.

“You tend to think more about the whole picture rather than just your classroom, or in the case of a principal, you think in terms of your school,” he said. “You think a lot more in terms of finances. When you’re superintendent, you’re responsible for the budget for the district. … You think a lot more about public relations, how the school system is perceived in the community, having local support from your constituents.

“Sometimes, decisions that are made from the superintendent position are not always popular, but sometimes they’re done because the law says to do it this way, or you determine this is the fairest or most accurate way to do it. You have to try to think more in terms of those kinds of factors. The biggest thing is dealing with the budget — you can’t run out of money.”

Sharp did not attend Highland schools but grew more familiar with the entire county when he worked for the Health Department. He also said he remembers when the Highland School District was formed.

He interviewed for the interim superintendent position Aug. 2, 2016, and began in the role the next day.

“It helps the school system if I could do something to help them and also keep myself somewhat active, keep my mind wrapped around the school business,” he said of becoming interim superintendent. “That’s kind of how I was looking at it when I came back into it this summer.”

The School Board hired McPherson & Jacobson LLC, a consulting firm, to help the district find a new permanent superintendent, but Sharp said he was eventually encouraged to apply for the position — and landed it.

Every day as interim superintendent, Sharp said, he learns something new about the district.

“Some of the things I thought I knew have been confirmed, one being that the community is very proud of the school system,” he said. “Also, we have a very committed staff. A lot of them are hometown people. They grew up here, got their college degrees and came back.”

In the upcoming school year, Sharp said, he will prioritize finding the best personnel for the district to replace those who have left and develop plans to improve the high school building, which was built in the early ’60s. Sharp said the district is also considering adding a performing arts center to its campus and studying where its graduates are going to determine how to better serve students’ career-readiness needs.

“I hope that, and my goal is, everything we do is student-first,” he said. “I always tell my staff that the school does not exist to provide anyone with employment. We’re provided with employment because the school exists.”

Staff writer Syd Hayman can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or shayman@arkansasonline.com.

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