Sheridan School District hires Jerry Guess as its interim superintendent

Jerry Guess, the new Sheridan School District interim superintendent, will take over for Jerrod Williams and will lead the district until June 30. 
(Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)
Jerry Guess, the new Sheridan School District interim superintendent, will take over for Jerrod Williams and will lead the district until June 30. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)

Jerry Guess was hired as Sheridan School District's interim superintendent last week, less than a year after stepping down from a permanent role with the Watson Chapel School District.

Guess, 71, will lead the Sheridan district through June 30 and will take over from Jerrod Williams, who was suspended indefinitely in December for reasons that have remained unclear. Guess said Sheridan leaders contacted him about the opening, but added he is not interested in staying past June.

"I'm trying to help them finish the year," Guess said. "They have an assistant superintendent. He's got his hands full. They needed some help."

Williams was suspended with pay by a unanimous vote of the Sheridan School Board. Board members have not stated any reason for the move, other than to announce that they would be looking for a new superintendent. Guess said the full-time position is being advertised.

"They're going to do like we did at Chapel and solicit applications, but I'm not interested in doing it for more than six months," Guess said.

Guess stepped down at Watson Chapel last June 30, saying when he announced his decision last January he had been working since age 10, but left the door open to continue working in another educational capacity. He's done that in recent months serving as a part-time mentor to superintendents for the Arkansas River Education Service Cooperative.

"You're available for phone calls, go to board meetings and keep a finger on what's going on at the state level," Guess said. "But you don't have to deal with the day-to-day duties of a superintendent."

Guess commented he doesn't have to do much to lead Sheridan schools, adding that the district has a strong academic program in place.

"If things have been going well -- and they have -- it's just a matter of helping them financially," he said.

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