Marlboro County officials announce 3 superintendent finalists

The Marlboro County School District Board of Education’s superintendent search has been narrowed down to three finalists.

They are D. Renee Mathews of Sumter, chief academic officer for Richland County School District 1; Dr. Thomas Alexander Sparks of in Batesburg-Leesville, assistant superintendent for instruction in Lexington School District 3; and Dr. Frank G. Roberson of North Augusta, president and educational consultant/evaluator for the Roberson Group, an education improvement group that works to improve schools and school leadership in poor performing schools and districts in South Carolina and Georgia.

Forty applications were received by the S.C. School Boards Association, the organization hired to conduct the search. The field was narrowed to six semifinalists, then pared down to the three finalists following the completion of interviews with the semifinalists Thursday night, Randall Malichi, director of public information, said in a press release issued Friday night.

The final round of interviews will be conducted Tuesday to Thursday. Each candidate will experience a full day of interviews with various levels of the district administration, principals, teachers and the community, Malichi said in the release. The candidates will conclude their day in an extensive interview with the school board.

Community forums will take place on each of the three days the candidates are in the school district. The forums will be from 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. in the Marlboro County High School Media Center.

“The school board has expressed agreement that ‘the strength of the pool was so significant that we want the community to meet each candidate,’” Malichi said in the release.

A final candidate is expected to be announced by June 30.

Board chairman John McInnis said Dr. Paul Krohne, executive director of the the S.C. School Boards Association, and Krohne’s staff have done a good job of implementing the search process.

McInnis said in the release he encourages the community to attend the forums and provide the board members with their feedback.

Marlboro County’s search for a new superintendent began after the board voted to terminate the district’s contract with Alisa Goodman.

The board agreed to a contract buyout of more than $400,000.

Tommy Clark, assistant superintendent of secondary education, is serving as the district’s interim superintendent.

On the Web

Marlboro County School District, http://www.marlboro.k12.sc.us