Two more candidates applied for the Blytheville School District superintendent position on Friday, the final day applications were accepted.
Zrano Bowles of West Memphis and Norman Nassar of Marion were the final two of the 11 total to apply.
Other applicants are Chaun Johnson of Chicago; Nenomoshia Thomas of Blytheville; Henry Anderson of Jacksonville, Ark.; Latrenda Miller of West Helena; Gabriel Jackson, Ed.d, of North Little Rock; Kenneth Pinkney of Memphis; David Westenhover of Heber Springs; Carl Stephen of West Memphis; and Brandy Dillin of Beebe.
Bowles is the current assistant superintendent of the Forrest City School District and former Osceola High School principal. He has three years of teaching experience and 13 years of administrative experience.
Nassar is self-employed as owner and manager of Interstate 55 Body Shop and previously served as superintendent of Augusta School District, superintendent of Westside School District in Greers Ferry, superintendent of Hughes School District, and superintendent of Crawfordsville School District, as well as assistant superintendent of Marion School District.
He has 32 years of teaching experience and 21 years in administrative roles; his educational career began in 1976 and continued until 2017.
Johnson currently serves as assistant principal at Holy Angels Catholic School in Chicago and has 20 years teaching experience and 15 years of experience in administration. Thomas currently serves as a tax specialist at Tax Boutique in Blytheville and has seven years administrative experience.
Anderson is the superintendent of Marvell Elaine School District and has 15 years of teaching experience and 12 years of administrative experience.
Miller is the special education director at Helena-West Helena School District and has 11 years of experience in teaching and three years administrative experience.
Jackson currently serves as director of assessment and accountability at Friendship Education Foundation in Little Rock, with seven years of experience in teaching and eight in administration.
Pinkney is CEO of Swift Foundation and pastor of New Harvest Missionary Baptist Church and has been principal at several schools, including Osceola Junior High (2004-2005), according to his resume. Pinkney has four years of experience in teaching and nine years in administration.
Westenhover served as superintendent at Alpena School District from July 2017 to June 2021 and also was superintendent at Guy-Perkins School from 2008-2013. Westenhover has seven years of experience teaching and 18 years in administration.
Stephen is currently a business teacher at Jackson-Madison County School System and previously served as principal at Brinkley High School (2017-2020) and principal at Arkansas Correctional School District (2007-2017), with 23 years of experience in teaching and 13 in administration. Dillin is currently director of special services at Beebe Public Schools and has served in principal roles in the district, with 20 years of experience teaching and 15 years of administrative experience.
During Monday night’s Blytheville School Board meeting, at the request of board member Tobey Johnson, the board agreed to reconsider the process for selecting a superintendent, with a plan to hold a special meeting later this week to work out the details.
Earlier this month, Blytheville School Board president Barbara Wells said board members would review the applications and narrow down the number of candidates before she will set up interviews with those who make the final cut. At the time, Wells said the interviews would be conducted in front of the public, though the board may have to go into executive session for specific questions.
Monday night, Johnson asked to revisit the issue and consider a committee of the four building principals and instructional leaders to assist with the interviews.
“There is so much that the board does not know about curriculum, so much that the board does not know about what’s going on in the school system,” Johnson said. “And I think we would be very remiss if we did not make a committee of the four principals and maybe their instructional leader and let them have the chance to interview also.”
Wells said the board is responsible for hiring the next superintendent and she is against forming a committee to be part of the interview process.
Wells said interim superintendent Jennifer Blankenship could introduce the candidates to principals and other school leaders, get feedback from them, and report those comments to the board.
“They will not sit in on the interviews,” Wells said.
Wells said, the district needs to conduct a thorough background check on the candidates. Board member Desmond Hammett said before hiring former superintendent Bobby Ashley, the board agreed to have community members and leaders meet with the finalists.
Board member Carlony Lewis suggested each board member choose one person to assist with the interview process.
Wells said community members can sit in on the interviews and listen, but not participate.
Board member Erin Carrington motioned to have a special meeting, which was approved by the board.