County Commissioner Bill Hullander said Wednesday that only a local county school superintendent "will be able to unite the community."
Commissioner Hullander said, "I hope the County School Board will reconsider appointing someone from out of state. From those I have talked to in the community, it is pretty much 100 percent who favor someone local."
He said he would like to see Deputy Supt. Rick Smith reconsider his decision to drop out of the running.
The County School Board is set to interview three out-of-state finalists this weekend. They were chosen by an advisory panel from six names produced by a consulting firm. Mr. Smith was among the six.
County School Board Chairman Chip Baker said the School Board is committed to choosing from among the three selected by the advisory panel.
Commissioner Hullander said, "We have a golden opportunity to unite the community, the County Commission and the School Board. If we bring in an outsider - no matter how good a superintendent he is - I don't think the community will support him. I don't think he will ever recover."
Commissioner Hullander said, "The community should have a stronger say in who will be the next superintendent than the Public Education Foundation."
Commissioner Hullander stated, "I am wondering what they said to Rick Smith to get him to withdraw his name."
He said the School Board having an advisory committee "looks bad. It would be like us having to have a committee to help us decide who takes Cotton's place. Those kinds of decisions are what we are elected for. It's what we get paid for."