By By TED STRONG
Staff writer
The Beaufort County Board of Education has suspended its search for a new superintendent, asking interim Superintendent William Rivenbark to stay on for an extra year.
Rivenbark’s contract will be extended until June 2010. The move was made at the board’s meeting Monday night.
“We’re in a budget crunch right now, and Mr. Rivenbark has been handling it well for us, and we really didn’t want to get involved in switching superintendents with this budget crisis the way it is,” said board Chairman Robert Belcher.
He also said the applicant pool was as wide as the board had hoped it would be. He said he thinks Rivenbark will also be able to help with that next time around.
Belcher said a new search will probably be started next spring.
In the meantime, he’s hoping Rivenbark will be able to lead the district through whatever comes from Raleigh. It’s not yet clear what the state budget will bring.
“We’re sticking with what we think is a proven winner,” Belcher said.
Consultant Pam Daw, who coordinated the search, will receive full payment even though no superintendent was found, Belcher said.
“She fulfilled every obligation that she had for us in her contract, and so she gets paid,” he said.
If the board wants Daw’s help on the next search, it will have to contract with her again, he said.