Oak Ridge Today

School board offers superintendent contract to Borchers

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Bob and Carol Smallridge and Bruce Borchers

Before the school board offered him the Oak Ridge Schools superintendent job on Monday, Bruce Borchers, right, speaks to Carol Smallridge, left, and interim Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bob Smallridge, second from right. Also pictured is Borchers’ son Jack.

The Oak Ridge school board has offered the superintendent’s job to Bruce Borchers, who is now superintendent of the Rockwood School District in Eureka, Mo.

The position, which has a salary range of about $175,000, is still subject to contract negotiations.

Board members approved the offer in a 5-0 vote during a short special meeting on Monday at Riverside Grille in Oak Ridge.  [Read more…]

Seven superintendent finalists, three to be interviewed Tuesday

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An executive search firm has narrowed down the list of superintendent candidates to seven finalists, and the Oak Ridge school board plans to interview three of them Tuesday.

The three are:

  • Bruce Borchers, superintendent of the Rockwood School District in Eureka, Mo., which has 22,000 students;
  • Dale Lynch, superintendent of the Hamblen County Schools in Morristown, which has 10,300 students; and
  • Keith Rowland, superintendent of Shenandoah County Public Schools in Woodstock, Va., which has 6,250 students.

[Read more…]

School board raises superintendent pay offer, hires Smallridge as interim

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Bob Smallridge

Bob Smallridge

Their first attempt to hire a new school superintendent ended after four of five finalists withdrew, and Oak Ridge Board of Education members learned Monday that bumping the potential pay range up to $175,000 per year could attract new candidates and better reflect market conditions.

The board approved the recommendation to offer a higher salary in a 5-0 vote during a special meeting Monday. The board also agreed to have executive search firm Ray and Associates of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, contact previously interested candidates with the new pay information, reset the application deadline to March 1, and set a start date for the new superintendent of no later than June 15.

The potential salary range for a new superintendent had earlier been set at $140,000 to $150,000, but two finalists from a search that started in June withdrew, citing salary issues, among other things, and a third apparently would have had to take a $6,000 to $8,000 pay cut to take the Oak Ridge superintendent’s job.

[Read more…]

School board to consider superintendent search, interim superintendent

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During a Monday meeting, the Oak Ridge Board of Education could ask former school superintendent Robert J. Smallridge to serve as interim superintendent.

Tom Bailey, the most recent superintendent, retired at the end of the year, and the school board has not hired a replacement.

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Two more finalists withdraw from superintendent search

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Two more finalists for Oak Ridge Schools superintendent have withdrawn, and the search will have to be re-opened, an official said Wednesday.

One candidate, Roger Collins, toured Oak Ridge this past Friday. The other, Dan Lawson, was scheduled to be here Thursday, but that visit has been canceled.

On Wednesday, Oak Ridge Board of Education Chair Keys Fillauer said Collins and Lawson have decided they want to stay where they are. Collins has been superintendent of Nelson County Public Schools in Lovingston, Va., for 10 years. Lawson, superintendent of Tullahoma City Schools in Tullahoma, Tenn., has been with his district 16 years.

[Read more…]

‘Meet and greet’ canceled with second superintendent candidate

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The “meet and greet” that had been scheduled with a second school superintendent candidate on Thursday has been canceled, the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce said Tuesday.

The session had been scheduled for lunchtime Thursday with Dan Lawson. He is superintendent of Tullahoma City Schools in Tullahoma, Tenn.

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Second superintendent finalist to visit Oak Ridge on Thursday

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The second of three finalists for Oak Ridge Schools superintendent will visit the city on Thursday.

Dan Lawson, superintendent of Tullahoma City Schools in Tullahoma, Tenn., will be at a “meet and greet” session at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce from 11:30-12:30 p.m. Thursday.

As part of his tour, he could also visit Willow Brook Elementary School and the Oak Ridge Preschool, Board of Education Chair Keys Fillauer said Monday.

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One of three superintendent finalists tours Oak Ridge

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Roger Collins Visits Oak Ridge

Roger Collins, superintendent of Nelson County Public Schools in Lovingston, Va., and his wife Debora visited Oak Ridge on Friday. Collins is one of three finalists for Oak Ridge Schools superintendent.

Roger Collins, one of three finalists for Oak Ridge Schools superintendent, was in town Friday to meet with local leaders and school administrators and tour the city.

Collins is now the superintendent of Nelson County Schools in Lovingston, Va. That system has 2,000 students, and it’s close to Charlottesville and the University of Virginia, Collins said.

He said Nelson County and Oak Ridge both have quality school systems.

[Read more…]

Former superintendent Smallridge could serve as interim school leader

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Former superintendent Bob Smallridge could temporarily lead the Oak Ridge school system starting in January.

On Wednesday, Oak Ridge Board of Education Chairman Keys Fillauer said he will recommend hiring Smallridge during a Jan. 7 meeting.

Tom Bailey, the current superintendent, is retiring at the end of the year, and the board hasn’t hired a replacement yet.

“We felt like we needed someone driving the ship,” Fillauer said of his proposal to recommend hiring Smallridge as interim superintendent until Bailey’s replacement is hired and starts working in Oak Ridge.

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Oak Ridge school superintendent search down to three finalists

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Two candidates have dropped out, and the five-month search for a new Oak Ridge schools superintendent is down to three finalists.

They are:

  • Dan Lawson, superintendent of Tullahoma City Schools in Tullahoma, Tenn.;
  • Neyland Clark, superintendent of South Harrison Community Schools in Corydon, Ind.; and
  • Roger Collins, superintendent of Nelson County Public Schools in Lovingston, Va.

The Oak Ridge Board of Education had scheduled interviews with five finalists. Those interviews, which lasted a total of eight to 10 hours, began Friday and continued Tuesday and Wednesday.

[Read more…]

Interviews for five superintendent candidates start Friday

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The list of applicants for Oak Ridge superintendent has been narrowed down to five, and the Oak Ridge Board of Education will start interviewing candidates on Friday.

The five finalists are:

  • Raymond Bandlow, who was most recently the superintendent of Fort Lee Public Schools in Fort Lee, N.J.;
  • Dan Lawson, superintendent of Tullahoma City Schools in Tullahoma, Tenn.;
  • Kenneth Sorrick, former superintendent of North Palos School District in Palos Hills, Ill.;
  • Neyland Clark, superintendent of South Harrison Community Schools in Corydon, Ind.; and
  • Roger Collins, superintendent of Nelson County Public Schools in Lovingston, Va.

Reception for retiring superintendent on Monday

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A Monday evening reception will honor Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Tom Bailey, who is retiring at the end of the year.

The reception starts at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 19, in the School Administration Building at 304 New York Ave.

The Oak Ridge Board of Education is hunting for a replacement for Bailey, who has been superintendent since 2002, and could consider a replacement on Dec. 8. The search is being conducted with the help of Ray and Associates, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.