Six apply for Lake Hamilton School District superintendent
PEARCY — The Lake Hamilton School District had received six applications for the superintendent’s position as of Friday afternoon, said Superintendent Steve Anderson, who plans to retire at the end of the school year.
The Lake Hamilton School Board outlined its process and procedures for hiring a new superintendent during a special meeting held Nov. 26. The deadline for applications and resumes was Friday.
The applicants are Shawn Higginbotham, associate superintendent at Lake Hamilton; Danny Breshears, superintendent of Centerpoint School District; Susan Kissire, superintendent for Bismarck School District; Michael White, superintendent of Parkers Chapel School District; Karla Neathery, assistant superintendent of Benton School District; and Bobby Hart, superintendent of Hope School District.
Anderson told The Sentinel-Record Friday that any applications received over the next few days will be taken into consideration as long as they are postmarked prior to the Dec. 14 deadline.
“We have not had anything else arrive today in the mail,” Anderson said Friday. “We did have two other applicants that we’ve spoken with who have indicated they were sending their application before the deadline. We have not received those yet, but those could come any day and as long as
they’re postmarked by today’s date, they’ll be considered.”
According to the minutes of November’s special board meeting, applicants are to have a superintendent certification, experience as a superintendent, associate superintendent, assistant superintendent, deputy superintendent, or comparable district-level experience.
The position was advertised with the Arkansas School Board Association, the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators and on the school’s website through Friday’s deadline.
Anderson announced his retirement in October after 13 years in the position. Anderson’s career in education in Arkansas spans 38 years and three school districts — two in Garland County. Between two stints, he has served Lake Hamilton for 29 years.
Earlier in December, Anderson said it is fairly standard for superintendents to renew their contracts in December or January, which is why he made his announcement early in the school year to allow enough time for anyone interested in the position to weigh their options and apply.