Looking to seal the deal : Fayetteville school board to begin contract talks with Bryant superintendent
Posted on Tuesday, May 6, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/64872/
The Fayetteville Board of Education voted unanimously Monday evening to offer Richard Abernathy the district’s superintendent job and authorized board President Steve Percival to negotiate a contract with him.
As stated in the motion made by Vice President Howard Hamilton, the contract will come back before the board for final approval.
Percival, who is also the director of human resources for Washington Regional Medical Center, said he planned to talk to Abernathy, the current superintendent of the Bryant School District, as soon as possible to start the negotiation process.
“ He’ll negotiate with (Abernathy ) and take a contract back to us, ” Hamilton explained.
A date for an additional meeting was not set. Percival said based on board members ’ schedules, he wasn’t sure they would be able to have a meeting until after high school graduation on May 22.
At the board meeting April 24, Percival said he wanted to hold a special meeting before May 9 to discuss a committee’s recommendation that the high school be relocated to a new site along Morningside Drive. Percival conceded Monday that meeting also will probably have to happen later.
There was no discussion about Fayetteville High School at the meeting Monday.
The vote to negotiate a contract with Abernathy came following a closed session that lasted more than two hours.
Board member Tim Kring said board members were trying to make sure they discussed all the issues pertaining to hiring a superintendent.
Abernathy applied for the job on the last day applications were being accepted. He was the only one of 11 applicants to be interviewed.
The board initially narrowed the finalists to four — two out-of-state applicants, who took other jobs as the board was preparing to do interviews, and Fayetteville Associate Superintendent Randy Willison. After holding a special meeting to discuss the matter, the board decided to interview Abernathy only.
The interview took place April 15, and the board invited him back for a follow-up visit, which took place Friday and Saturday. The most recent trip included visits with teachers, principals, parent-teacher association presidents, representatives of the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, and a dinner with board members.
The district also held a reception Saturday at the Walton Arts Center, where members of the public could drop by and meet Abernathy.
“ Almost everyone said he was very comfortable in meeting people, ” Hamilton said.
The district’s plan has been to hire someone who would begin working with the system in the 2008-09 school year. That person would then take over in the summer of 2009, when current Superintendent Bobby New is scheduled to retire.