Fort Smith School Board discusses superintendent search, sets job criteria

by Tina Alvey Dale ([email protected]) 325 views 

The Fort Smith Public Schools Board of Education agreed during a special called meeting Monday (Feb. 3) to expedite the search for a new superintendent of schools, setting a Feb. 20 deadline for applications.

Board President Dalton Person told the board during a Jan. 27 board meeting that Dr. Terry Morawski, FSPS superintendent, officially submitted his resignation Jan. 17 with his last day to be June 30, and the board had accepted that resignation.

Morawski’s wife, Dr. Courtney Morawski, has been named superintendent of Granbury Independent School District in Granbury, Texas. The board agreed Jan. 7 to allow the district and Person to negotiate with Omaha, Neb.-based McPherson & Jacobson LLC for the search. With those negotiations complete, McPherson and Jacobson reps met with the board Monday to discuss candidate criteria and steps to fill the position by July 1.

Dr. Ken Jones with McPherson and Jacobson presented the board with a calendar for the search that had the position opening going live in national postings as soon as possible with an application deadline set for Feb. 27. Person said the board wanted things expedited more and wanted the deadline for applications listed as Feb. 20.

Prior to that McPherson and Jacobson will develop a survey that the district can publicly release, asking for input on the search from stakeholders, including faculty, staff, parents and community members. That survey is set to go live within a couple of days and will stay available for responses for seven days, said Dr. Keith Williams with McPherson and Jacobson.

CANDIDATE CRITERIA
The board then brainstormed on a criteria they wanted included in the search for the right person. General consensus was that candidates applying for the position be innovative and transparent, have good communications skills, fiscal budgetary skills and experience in the classroom, a position of leadership in a like-size district, relationship-driven and community-focused, support the mental health of staff, positively promote change and academic rigor, and have good character and integrity.

“We pride ourselves on vetting your candidates very succinctly in terms of what your criteria are,” Jones said.

Once candidates are vetted, they will be presented to the board, who will decide who will be interviewed.

No salary has been set for the position, Person said. That will be determined based upon the candidates who apply for the position. Morawaski’s salary is $253,838.98 annually.

This is the third time in the past eight years FSPS has had to fill the top administrative position in the district. Dr. Benny Gooden, who was the district as superintendent for 30 years, retired in 2016. He was first hired as FSPS superintendent in 1986. Dr. Doug Brubaker was hired as the superintendent in December 2016, starting his career with the district on Jan. 18, 2017. He left at the end of 2020 to take the superintendent position of Texarkana, Texas, Independent School District. Morawski, who was the district’s deputy superintendent since 2018, took over the position Jan. 4, 2018.

SCHOOL BOARD VACANCY
The school board will have another called board meeting Feb. 18 to review applications and determine what the board would like to do regarding filling a vacancy on the board.

The board has 30 days to fill the position left vacant when board member Talicia Richardson resigned Jan. 27 or the position could be filled for them by the Sebastian County Quorum Court. Richardson resigned from the board Monday amidst the controversy regarding the reassignment of Felix Curry, former head football coach for Northside High School. Her term, representing Zone IV, was set to expire in 2026.

The district posted about the vacant board seat that became vacant January 29.

“By state law, the board has 30 days to appoint a qualified individual living in Zone IV to the seat,” the posting states. “Candidates should be aware that interviews could be scheduled immediately afterward, and candidates should plan to be available for a possible interview.”

As of Tuesday (Feb. 4), Ashante Arnaud and Gregory Carthon had applied for the position.