MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) students may be out for summer, but the work doesn't stop for school board members after constant delays to the district's search for a new superintendent.
Wednesday, the board chairperson made her first comments about the ongoing delay in hiring a new superintendent, which is now closing in on one year.
MSCS Board Chair Althea Greene said the school board basically has to go back to the drawing board in the search process, which is largely why the position won't be filled by the end of summer or the start of the school year in August.
Greene spent Thursday touring MSCS schools with Shelby County commissioners and their needed upgrades. Managing that, on top of the board's highly criticized superintendent search process.
The district is spending tens of thousands of dollars and months with a national search firm, but the school board was not happy with how finalists were chosen and paused the search, essentially starting it from scratch again.
Greene said the board's focus is now reworking the superintendent candidate criteria and expectations.
"I think we've spent enough money on the search firm, and I think we should keep them because we really don't want to go and start over, but we need to be very clear with them about the rubric and what we expect with them, and so I think just clearing up some levels of communication," Greene said. "We will continue to move forward."
Greene also mentioned the district's fiscal year starts July 1, which would be a challenging time to bring someone in the midst of budget season.
She expects more information on the search timeline and rubric will come during their next retreat, scheduled for Friday afternoon.