Huntsville City Schools search for Superintendent to end in June

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - Students may be gearing up for summer break but for the Huntsville City Schools Board of Education, the work is just beginning. The board is tasked with naming a new superintendent this summer as current superintendent Christie Finley announced her retirement earlier this year.

Applications for the new Huntsville City Schools superintendent opened in late April and will close on May 26. Board members hope to name a new superintendent by June 13.

District 4 board member Ryan Renaud said retiring superintendent Christie Finley set the bar high, so whoever is chosen has to have a passion for education and be ready to learn.

“They’re big shoes to fill, she’s given us a lot of momentum to carry forward,” Renaud said. “I think it’s certainly somebody who’s going to be excited, open, and willing to get out and about in the community.”

After applications close, Renaud said the school board will rank their top five candidates. Out of those five, the top three candidates will be interviewed by the board. The interviews will be recorded and released to the public a week before the board votes, to allow time for feedback.

Renaud is confident the board will choose the best candidate for Huntsville City Schools.

“I’m really excited because I know that change can be a daunting, overwhelming feeling in terms of an executive leadership position but I know that we’ve got some great candidates here in the region, here in our local systems,” Renaud said. " We’re just excited to see who those applicants are and go through the interview process because we’ve got a lot of momentum to carry forward with Huntsville City Schools and a lot of great opportunity ahead.”

The board expects to pay the new superintendent a salary between $190,000-$285,000, but Renaud says that could vary based on qualifications and experience.

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