District Board of Trustees continue search for superintendent

The Florence School District 2 Board of Trustees based in Pamplico still is determining its options on how to proceed with its superintendent search in the wake of a 3-percent budget cut from the state.

The State Budget and Control Board previously announced that state agencies would have to cut an additional $188 million from their spending because of decreasing state revenues.

The state cut $73 million for K-12 public education at the state Department of Education, which means most of the cuts will be passed on to local school districts.

Florence 2 board chairman Thad Calcutt said he is in the process of polling board members on options available for determining the district’s new superintendent.

Members of the board have discussed hiring a consultant or conducting an internal search.

Superintendent Dr. Steve Quick said he told the board at its August meeting about the cost involved in hiring a consultant and didn’t recommend that option because of the 3-percent state budget cut. He said no other recommendations were given at that time.

The board couldn’t agree unanimously on a candidate from the three finalists previously selected by the board, so the board agreed to submit a letter requesting proposals from potential educational consultants for the district’s superintendent search.

Finalists include David Bradley, superintendent of Charles City Community School District in Charles City, Iowa; Dr. Kathi Gibson, a retired superintendent from Northampton County Schools in Jackson, N.C.; and Stephen Stohla, superintendent of Brookfield Local Schools in Brookfield, Ohio.

Quick’s contract with the district ended June 30, but he will stay on until the board has found a replacement or interim superintendent. He has been in education for the past 32 years, with 15 years as the superintendent of Florence 2.

The board will continue to discuss the superintendent search at its next regular meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. Sept. 29 at the district office, 2121 S. Pamplico Highway, Pamplico.

For more details, call the district office at (843) 493-2502.

On the Web

Florence School District 2: http://www.florence2.k12.sc.usc