PEA RIDGE — With the school superintendent’s job soon to be vacant, the school board needs start looking for a replacement, board members agreed Monday night.

“We need to be in the process of offering and getting someone hired pretty close to the first of the month,” school board member Rick Webb said.

“That’s a very aggressive goal, and that would be awesome,” said board member Ann Cato, “butthat is very aggressive.”

Cato stressed that she would like to be involved in the interview process for his replacement, but will be traveling for work until the end of the month.

Cato’s term expires in 2015, making her the board member with the longest upcoming service under the new superintendent, provided the other members do not run for re-election.

“It’s my duty as a board member, as it is each of yours, to be involved,” she said.

“If we find somebody (andhave to wait to interview them), you put everything in limbo for a week and it may make a good candidate pull out,” Webb said.

Board member Joshua Ramsey said the board will make every effort for Cato to participate, even via a Skype call from India if need be.

“Let’s set that as our goal, and work diligently to achieve it. But we can’t let the timeline determine the hire,” Ramsey said.

Board president Jenny Wood said the hiring committee, consisting of the principals of the four schools and curriculum director Bonnie Fullmer, and she have gone through some applications that have already come in, while they continue to receive them. There has been no closing date set for applying. The job has been posted on the Arkansas Association of Education Administrators website, as well as theschool district’s website.

Principals have begun to check references and will now apply the newly decided search criteria to those already reviewed.

When they have narrowed down the candidates by interview, either by phone or in person as they choose, the board will begin its interview process.

“If it comes down to one or two individuals and neither one seems to be a fit, we’re not going to just choose out of those two, we’re not just gonna make it work,” Wood said.

She said the next step is for the board to determine a list of search criteria for applicants to the position.

“They should have a minimum of three years experience as a superintendent in Arkansas,” said board member Darin Wright.

“They need to meet the minimum legal requirements for superintendents in Arkansas,” Cato added.

Wood agreed, saying the board needs to examine the finances of the district the applicant is coming from.

Superintendent Mike Van Dyke urged the board to be careful eliminating possible replacements for declining balances due to declining enrollment.

“Those are tough decisions for a superintendent; reduction in force, and if they’re losing students not on their own account. Get very comfortable looking at someone with three years of declining balances,” VanDyke said.

Webb suggested the applicants have a background in the construction of new facilities in a district, considering the plans for upcoming projects, such as the new Intermediate School.

Wood said the candidate has to have the same vision the board and district have; one “that’s already been in place, been here for years.”

Test scores will also be a factor.

“Sometimes you may have to veer off a little bit,” Webb said, of the search criteria, “when you get that gut feeling.”

“The purpose (of this criteria) is really so that we can do our job more objectively,” Cato said.

“We also need to understand the character of the person and the organization they’ve created.”All school board

members accepted Mike Van Dyke’s letter of resignation at

the regular meeting Monday night.

Van Dyke will be replacing Buddy

Auman as director of the Northwest

Arkansas Education

Service Cooperative in Farmington. He will remain with Pea Ridge

Schools through June 30.

Auman’s outgoing

salary is $99,060, plus

a $500 per month car allowance.

Van Dyke’s incoming salary will be $112,000, plus a $500 per month car allowance.

The co-op is funded by state funds and grants.

News, Pages 1 on 05/11/2011