The Beaufort County Board of Education narrowed its list of finalists for district superintendent from three to two, and members planned site visits next week to both of the remaining candidates’ home districts.

The two remaining finalists are Gloria J. Davis, currently superintendent of the 9,100-student Decatur Public Schools in Decatur, Ill., and Jeffrey Moss, currently superintendent of the 9,850-student Lee County Schools in Sanford, N.C.   No longer a finalist is Kathryn LeRoy, director of high school programs for Duval County Public Schools in Jacksonville, Fla.

Each of the three finalists visited Beaufort County for a pair of interviews as well as for question-and-answer sessions with district employees and community forums that were televised on the Beaufort County Channel. Comments on the finalists were forwarded to Board of Education members for their consideration in the decision-making process.

Board Chair Bill Evans and board members Evva Anderson, Michael Rivers and Mike Sanz visited the Sanford, N.C., district of Moss. The four board members will then leave for a trip to visit the Decatur, Ill., district of Davis.

“We had extensive and detailed discussions that all 11 board members participated in, and the fact that we narrowed the field instead of making a final decision is a reflection of the quality of our remaining finalists,” Evans said.  “I also want to emphasize the significant consideration that board members gave to comments we received from educators and community members following the forums.”

Ray and Associates, an Iowa-based firm hired by the Board to coordinate the national search, received 122 applications from candidates in 42 states. The consultants conducted background checks on the applicants and brought 11 candidates to the board, which interviewed seven before announcing the three finalists.  The Board’s goal is to have a new superintendent under contract in the next week.
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