Albany Herald

ALBANY -- All seven members of Dougherty County's Board of Education attended a special called board meeting as part of the school system's search for its next superintendent Tuesday morning.

The 45-minute meeting was held in a closed-door, executive session because it involved personnel. The meeting was at least the sixth one regarding the superintendent search that was held entirely in executive session since Dec. 10.

"We're still working toward that (goal) of having someone in place by February or March," Board Chairman David Maschke said.

Added board member Michael Windom: "We're still working through the process, and it's going well."

The Dougherty County School System superintendent position attracted 39 candidates before the application process ended Nov. 24. Eight-year Superintendent Sally Whatley announced her retirement in late August. Whatley will remain on the job until the school board replaces her and names its 14th superintendent since 1885.

Once the school board selects a finalist or finalists for the position, a community forum will be held to provide citizens an opportunity to meet and ask the top candidates questions.

The Dougherty County superintendent applicants reside in 12 states -- including 22 from Georgia -- and one lives in the United Kingdom.

Besides Georgia and the U.K., three applicants live in South Carolina

and two hail from Virginia, New Jersey and Alabama. Kansas, Florida, North Carolina, Michigan, Arkansas, Oklahoma and California are the other states where applicants reside.

Breaking down the degrees the applicants hold, 19 have attained doctorates of education or Ed.D. degrees, 10 hold Ph.D.s, five have education specialist degrees, three carry master's, one has a juris doctor degree and one applicant's degree level is unknown.

Six of the applicants are currently superintendents, and five are assistant superintendents. Three applicants are either directors, principals or consultants, and two are former superintendents.

Maschke said a date for the next superintendent search meeting has not been set.