Community Input Sought in Search for New Franklin County School Superintendent

The search for a new school superintendent in Franklin County is now officially on and the School Board is asking for citizen input.

School Board chair Joe Greene says the board has been working for the past several weeks on the criteria for the new superintendent.

Last week, board members went over some of the criteria for the new school superintendent and hope to have an ad for the position in place by the end of the month.

Current superintendent Dr. Ruth O’Dell is retiring at the end of the school year after eight years.

During that time, O’Dell saw the school system through some tough economic times, but still managed to bring the graduation rate up from 57% in 2008 to 91% in 2015, develop strategies and initiatives to bring teachers and staff together and increase awareness in the community of the importance of education.

Greene said they are looking for someone with the obvious academic and professional experience required for the job.

But Greene admits whoever they hire, will have a tough act to follow in Dr O’Dell and will need to have a vision that will carry on the programs and policies Dr. O’Dell instituted.

“Absolutely, I think that’s one of the qualities that Dr. O’Dell brought in from day one,” Greene said. “She had a vision of where she wanted Franklin County schools to be; a long-term vision, not just a short-term vision. You have to be able to look at both. Certainly, we’re looking for a superintendent who can look at both the short-term and the long-term, and I think that’s what has made us successful over the long-term – is that vision.”

Another attribute the school board is hoping for in a new superintendent is someone who will stay for the long term as Dr. O’Dell did.

Greene said they want someone who will be part of the community.

“Certainly we’d like to see someone who will want to be here for the long haul. The average stay of a school superintendent in Georgia is about two and half years,” Greene noted. “So for us to be able to have her (Dr. O’Dell) for these past eight years has been great and I think that’s the big part of the success we’ve had because she’s been here to see these plans and goals come to fruition and see them through.”

But Greene said the board also wants input from the public on what they’d like to see in a new school superintendent and they’ve made a way for Franklin County citizens and parents to offer their views.

“There will be a survey on the Franklin County (school) Web site for the community to give input on the qualities that they would like to see in our new superintendent,” Greene said. “The board is going to look at that and will take that input very much to heart. So I’d like to encourage the community to go to the Web site and fill out the survey.”

The school board has hired the Georgia School Boards Association to assist in conducting the search.

Green said they hope to begin receiving and reviewing applications in January.