School district won’t fill deputy superintendent job

The Pulaski County Special School District will remain without a deputy superintendent after its board went against a hiring recommendation late Thursday.

District Superintendent Jerry Guess recommended the board hire Janice Warren, currently an assistant superintendent for equity and pupil services and director of elementary education. Warren — who has worked in education for several decades — was the most qualified candidate for the position, Guess said.

The deputy superintendent position has been vacant throughout the past academic year since Laura Bednar resigned last year to become the head of Baptist Prep Academy.

After a two-hour executive session, ending about 10:30 p.m., the board voted 4-2 — with Mike Kemp absent — against Guess’ recommendation. Board member Alicia Gillen made the motion to do so, and member Tina Ward gave the second.

Gillen would not comment after the board decision.

Board President Linda Remele and Vice President Shelby Thomas were in favor of moving Warren to that position.

“I support the superintendent in the fact that if he felt like he needed a deputy superintendent to run this district efficiently, then I’m supporting him,” Remele said.

Also Thursday, the board agreed to refinance 2012 bonds in hopes of saving money from reduced interest rates.

The April 1, 2012, bond issue gave the district about $21,860,000, to be paid back at an average interest rate of 3.73 percent, board documents show. The district had not paid back any of the principal amount but had an opportunity to refinance this year, said Jack Truemper of Stephens Inc.

On Thursday, Truemper offered the School Board options on how it wanted to structure the financing, whether to spread out savings from lower interest rates across the 17-year life span or to have larger savings on the front end. Either way, the savings would turn into unrestricted funds, or those that the district can use for any purpose, he said.

The board ultimately decided to take the savings on the front end, which could provide an estimated $1.2 million over the 17-year life span, most of which the district would see in the first two years, according to the board documents.

Also Thursday, Truemper gave the board a timeline for the 2017 bond issue, which was made possible when the district’s voters on Tuesday approved a tax extension through 2048. The tax-extension allows the district to collect 14.8 debt-service mills of its current 40.7-mill property tax for more years, though it will not mean property owners will pay more in their annual school taxes.