Forty-three people have applied to be Bibb County's next superintendent. This comes after the board closed it's first round of applications, due to dissatisfaction with the applicant pool.
Lynn Farmer, a board member who's been leading the search, said she's happy they opened it back up again.
"Because I think we were much more inclusive in what we were looking for and much more open. Anytime you have a search and you say that you only want superintendent candidates, it makes it very difficult when you see major regional superintendents who may have that level of experience to run this system and you really can't look at them because you didn't open it up to everyone at that level," said Farmer.
Twenty-eight applicants have a doctorate in education, nine a doctorate in philosophy, three are educational specialists and three have earned masters.
Within the next couple of weeks the Georgia Schools Boards Association will rank the applicants in three tiers.
Board wants to maintain millage rate
Also at the meeting, the board tentatively voted to maintain the 17.945 millage rate. It's been the same for 5 years.
Board member Tom Hudson doesn't agree with the vote and said it should be raised. "I know a lot of people don't like the idea of raising the millage rate, but the thing is we have to look at long-range projection and it's already been projected that we will have a negative fund balance in the next few years, we have an opportunity now to gradually increase the millage rate," said Hudson.
Farmer disagrees with Hudson. "We don't need to raise the millage rate right now. I think people in this community are all having to cut corners, I expect that they want us to do the same," she said.
The board will take a final vote after an advertisement , with the rate, is placed in The Telegraph. It'll then be followed by a public hearing on Thursday August 21st at 6 p.m., and a final vote at 6:15 p.m.
System to purchase new facility
The board also voted to begin the process of purchasing a new building on Cavalier Drive. It's for custodial, purchasing and maintenance. Farmer said they can't reveal how much they are purchasing it for just yet, but that the district allotted around $6 million for this purpose. She did, however, add that they will be saving money since the building is already in-tact.
Interim Superintendent Steve Smith said the building is in a safer location than it's current warehouse located on Roth Avenue. Smith said they've gotten robbed and have lost around $100, 000 in equipment there within the past three years.
