| Final pair of finalists excludes Huss | | Posted: Tuesday, April 23, 2013 10:00 pm
| By CHRIS MENEES
Staff Reporter
Obion County Director of Schools David Huss was not named as one of two finalists for the director of schools position in Wilson County.
Huss was among four finalists who interviewed Saturday for the position.
From those interviews, the field was narrowed to two finalists — Dr. Donna Wright, assistant superintendent of Williamson County Schools, and Dr. Timothy Setterlund, chief transition officer as Memphis City Schools merge with Shelby County Schools, The Lebanon News Democrat reported Saturday.
The fourth person interviewed Saturday was Dennis Albright, director of Braxton County Schools in Sutton, W.Va.
The Lebanon newspaper reported all four candidates for the post answered the same 20 questions, proposed by the Wilson County School Board and refined by a consultant with the firm hired to lead the search for a new director following the resignation of current director Mike Davis. The candidates’ answers were scored and the results tabulated.
The two finalists will return for another round of interviews this coming Saturday.
The Wilson County School District, based in Lebanon, serves about 15,750 students in prekindergarten through adult education.
Huss — who has been the Obion County School System’s director of schools since 2006 — told The Messenger last week that he was contacted about the Wilson County position. He had also interviewed in December as a candidate in Jackson-Madison County Schools’ search for a superintendent, but he was not among the finalists chosen to advance there.
Huss told The Messenger he was glad to have the opportunity to interview for the Wilson County position, regardless of the outcome. In the meantime, though, he said today he is still on the job and working hard for the Obion County School System and its students.
Huss was given a year’s extension to his contract in Obion County — making it through June 30, 2016 — at the April 2012 meeting of the Obion County School Board. The extension came after he received a board evaluation of 87.68 percent at the board’s annual retreat last year.
This year, Huss received an evaluation of 79.92 percent. As part of his employment contract, upon receipt of a satisfactory annual evaluation, the school board may grant a pay raise and/or a contract extension.
At its April 8 meeting, the Obion County School Board voted to table action on Huss’ contract until its May 6 meeting in the hope that all seven board members can be present for the discussion. Board members discussed the matter at their recent orientation session but apparently haven’t yet agreed upon a recommendation.
Huss was hired in Obion County in mid-2006 while he was working as executive director of Local Education Agencies Support Services with the Tennessee Department of Education. Prior to that, he worked as director of schools for the South Carroll County Special School District from July 1999 to September 2003.
He also worked in the past as a fiscal consultant with the Tennessee Department of Education, director of finance for the McKenzie Special School District and as a legislative auditor for the state comptroller’s office.
Since coming to Obion County, Huss has earned a law degree. He serves as an adjunct professor at Dyersburg State Community College, teaching business law classes, and has a law office at his home, where he wrote a book on school finance and does professional development for different school systems.
Published in The Messenger 4.23.13 | | | | |
