More than a dozen educators have submitted applications to become the next superintendent of Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp.
The search process began last fall after 13-year superintendent John Quick announced his retirement, effective July 1.
Quick came to BCSC in 1991 as principal of Taylorsville Elementary School and stepped into his current role of superintendent in 2003.
As of Thursday, 13 applications had been submitted to the superintendent search team, which consists of education professors from Ball State, Indiana, Indiana State and Purdue universities, said Bob Abrams, BCSC board president.
Lynn Lehman, a Ball State professor who heads the search committee, told Abrams that three additional candidates had confirmed their application materials were in the mail and would be received by Friday’s deadline.
“This is a peach of a job,” Abrams said. “I’m pleased so many were interested in the position.”
Abrams said he does not know yet if any of the applicants are internal candidates.
He and the six other members of the school board will get a first look at the applications when the screening process begins Jan. 19.
After the initial review, applicants will be selected for the interview process, which school board members will conduct privately.
Keeping the interviews private is in the best interests of the candidates, who expect the process to be confidential, Abrams said.
“Our experience in seeing how other school districts have handled this process is that if it isn’t a closed-door process, it blows up,” he said.
Abrams said he hopes to have the new superintendent selected by early spring.
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The seven-member school board will begin reviewing superintendent applications Jan. 19. They also will review the results of a community survey, which was administered late last year to allow Columbus residents to provide input on what qualities they would like to see in the schools’ next leader. Formal interviews will follow the application screening process, which will be closed to the public. The board’s goal is to select a candidate by early spring to allow time for the transition.
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