Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Schools chief finalists to interview next week with Fayetteville board
FAYETTEVILLE — A decision on who will be the School District’s next superintendent could come as early as Wednesday.
The School Board will interview the two finalists for the job next week. Anthony Rossetti, superintendent of the Webb City School District in Webb
City, Mo., is scheduled to interview at 5 p.m. Monday. Brad Swofford, superintendent of the Branson School District in Branson, Mo., is set to interview at 5 p.m. Wednesday, according to a district news release Friday.
oard president Nika Waitsman said both candidates will visit school buildings before the interviews.
The interviews will be conducted in executive session at the McClinton Administration Building, according to the release. The board hopes to make a decision Wednesday night, Waitsman said.
The new superintendent will begin July 1. John L Colbert, the district’s current superintendent, is retiring this summer.
Fayetteville’s enrollment as of last fall was 10,426. The district’s preliminary budget for this school year showed expenditures projected at about $128 million.
The search for the next superintendent started with a planning meeting in September. GR Recruiting of St. Louis led the hiring process.
The board narrowed its candidate list from 31 to six during a special meeting Jan. 28. The board interviewed those six before choosing Rossetti and Swofford as the finalists Feb. 9.
The base salary for the position was advertised as being “in the range of $275,000” plus a comprehensive benefits package, according to the job description posted by GR Recruiting.
“The final salary for the successful candidate will be negotiated and determined based on proven experience, qualifications, and meeting the Fayetteville Board of Education’s criteria,” the job posting states.