FAYETTEVILLE -- The search for the School District's next superintendent took a turn Friday as the School Board decided to take another look at two candidates.
The board voted unanimously at a special meeting for board president Nika Waitsman to schedule in-person interviews with Jonathan Mulford, deputy superintendent of operations for the Springfield (Mo.) Public Schools, and Jeannine Porter, chief of marketing, communications and strategic initiatives for the Irving (Texas) Independent School District.
The board previously had narrowed its candidate list to two: Anthony Rossetti, superintendent of the Webb City (Mo.) School District, and Brad Swofford, superintendent of the Branson (Mo.) School District. Rossetti interviewed in person with the board Monday, and Swofford interviewed in person Wednesday.
After its regular monthly meeting Thursday, the board went into executive session to discuss the superintendent search. The board adjourned at 10:42 p.m. without taking any action.
On Friday, the board called the special meeting, then announced the decision to interview Mulford and Porter.
Rossetti and Swofford are no longer in the running for the job, Waitsman said.
"We just haven't found a good fit yet," Waitsman said. "The board just felt that we needed to visit with more of our finalists in person. The School Board members fully understand how important this decision is to our School District and to our community. We want to make absolutely certain that we have thoroughly examined all of our options in making this decision, and we determined that additional conversations with Dr. Porter and Dr. Mulford should be part of our deliberations."
The board narrowed its candidate list from 31 to six during a special meeting Jan. 28. Mulford and Porter were among the six chosen for the first round of interviews, conducted via Zoom. The board interviewed those six before trimming the field to Rossetti and Swofford on Feb. 9.
Waitsman noted those in the pool of six were considered finalists.
Whomever is selected will be the 14th superintendent in the district's 152-year history and will begin July 1. John L Colbert, the district's superintendent since 2018, is retiring this summer.
The schedule for the interviews of Mulford and Porter will be released as soon as possible, the district said. No other interviews are set at this time, Waitsman said.
"We are just finding that the in-person interviews provide use with a very helpful layer in the process," Waitsman said. "And we have some time, so we don't feel we should rush our decision."
Fayetteville's enrollment as of last fall was 10,426. The district's preliminary budget for this school year showed expenditures projected at about $128 million.
The superintendent search started with a planning meeting in September. GR Recruiting of St. Louis led the hiring process.