Albany Herald

ALBANY, Ga. -- The Dougherty County School Board will hold a special called meeting at 8:30 a.m. Monday to discuss an interim replacement for outgoing Superintendent Joshua Murfree.

On Friday, Board chairman James Bush received a letter from the Georgia School Boards Association listing 19 names to consider as a possible interim.

DCSS Executive Finance and Operations Director Ken Dyer confirmed that he had contacted the people on the list and that six had expressed an interest in the interim position.

The Herald obtained a copy of the list on Thursday. The 19 names are Sam Allen, Valdosta City; Susan Andrews, Muscogee County; Roy Brooks, Sumter County; Susan Clark, Peach County; Butch Frye, Emanuel County; Ric Hall, Early County; Alan Kimbro, Worth County; Valya Lee, Clayton and Twiggs counties; Michael Lupo; Stanley McCain, Bremen City; David Mosley, Glynn County; Sharon Patterson, Bibb County; Franklin Perry, Sumter and Twiggs counties; Lula Mae Perry, Jeff Davis County; Steve Smith, Lowndes County; Tim Smith, Vidalia City; Charles Stripling, Mitchell County; Jeffery Welch, Oglethorpe County, and Alan White, Butts County.

Dyer would not identify the six people who he said were interested in the job.

Murfree's last day as superintendent is Tuesday. Bush said he wanted to have an interim in place by the end of December, but has since changed his mind.

"I think (new board members) Lane Price and Robert Youngblood should have input into this decision," Bush said. "After all, they will have to work with the interim superintendent."

The new board members are scheduled to take their seats at the Jan. 14 School Board meeting, but School System Attorney Tommy Coleman said they could be sworn in anytime after Dec. 31.

The Board could hold a special called meeting anytime after the new members are sworn in, but Bush stressed that finding the right person for the the job would take priority over expediency.