The CHCCS Board of Education has been searching for a new superintendent since August when Tom Forcella retired, after five years in the district. The board named Dr. Jim Causby interim superintendent, while members hoped to have a permanent person in the role in January.

The board collected notes of expectations and other comments from the public that they could turn in to the North Carolina School Boards Association. The association would in turn give the board a pool of prospective superintendents to choose from.

Board chairman James Barrett said the school district hired a firm to help with the search. The firm collected all of the input the board received, and presented it back to them at their meeting September 15.

“We will put together a profile that says ‘this is the ideal person we’re looking for,'” he said. “It may look like Wonder Woman, I don’t know. At the end of that meeting on the 15th, the organization will release to us all of the applications”

A total of 44 people from 17 different states applied for the job. The board held multiple public forums and sent email surveys to encourage community members to share their opinions on what the next superintendent should do.

Joyce Powell, who has a child in the CHCCS school system, said racial inequality in schools is an important topic for the new superintendent to address.

“I want [the superintendent] to be able to look into any of the racial disparities that we have so far within our system,” she said. “I know the board has worked hard on putting forward some other implementations to help, but I think we can do a little bit better…every child matters, and to me, this is what this is all about.”

The meeting to vote on a candidate will be Wednesday in the auditorium of Smith Middle School at 6:00. Officials said the candidate is expected to be in attendance, and the public is invited to attend.

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