Gentry School Board hires new superintendent

GENTRY — The Gentry School Board on Wednesday agreed to hire Tyler Broyles as the School District’s next superintendent.

The board voted unanimously to offer the superintendent’s job to Broyles after interviewing two candidates in closed session at a special meeting.

Broyles, 39, has been superintendent of the Cossatot River School District since July 2021. Cossatot River is a Polk County district of about 870 students in the southwest corner of the state. Gentry’s enrollment was 1,670 as of Oct. 1.

Broyles obtained his doctorate last year, he told the board. He also holds degrees in business and law and is a licensed attorney in the state. As an educator, he has taught math and history and teaches an online business law class at Northwest Arkansas Community College.

He said he frequently spends time in Northwest Arkansas.

Also interviewed by the board was Leigh Anne Carter of Siloam Springs. Carter passed her superintendent’s test in 2004, has served as a principal in Mountain Home, and is currently the director of academic support and English to speakers of other languages in the Siloam Springs School District.

A special committee made up of educators and community members had reviewed all applications for the position, conducted interviews and narrowed the list of candidates to the two interviewed by the board.

Broyles is set to take the helm of the Gentry School District on July 1.

Terrie DePaola, Gentry’s superintendent since 2017, tendered her resignation in October for health reasons, effective at the close of the current school year.

Broyles