The North Little Rock School Board on Thursday voted to enter into negotiations with Bobby Acklin — a longtime North Little Rock School District administrator — to be interim superintendent for the 2018-19 school year.
The board voted 5-1 to select Acklin.
Acklin has worked since August 2017 as a part-time adviser/trainer for novice teachers in central Arkansas charter schools for the Arkansas Public School Resource Center. He has been superintendent of the Dollarway School District in Jefferson County and the Warren School District in Bradley County in South Arkansas.
From 1989 to 2013, he was an assistant superintendent for the North Little Rock district.
Kelly Rodgers, the current superintendent, is resigning effective June 30 per the terms of a separation agreement with the North Little Rock School Board.
In March, Rodgers said he would retire at the end of the current school year, effective June 30, leaving with one year left on his three-year contract with the district. He made that announcement at a School Board meeting after the School Board did not extend his contract following his job evaluation this year nor after his January 2017 evaluation.
Superintendents in Arkansas are usually on three-year contracts that get renewed annually to keep the length at three years.
The School Board interviewed six people for the superintendent’s position — three May 1 and three May 3. Then, May 7, the board met again and did not select anyone. Instead, the board decided that it would appoint someone to serve as an interim superintendent for the coming school year.
Acklin was among the candidates for superintendent who were interviewed in May.
Read Friday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.