After considering two candidates for the position, the Elizabethton Board of Education selected Dr. Corey Gardenhour to serve as interim superintendent after the retirement of Ed Alexander.
Gardenhour, who currently serves as the director of special education, RTI and related services, was up for the interim position along with current Assistant Superintendent Richard VanHuss.
One other candidate not from the school system applied for the job but was not eligible because the person did not have a valid Tennessee teaching license. School board member Dr. Grover May added this person’s application was also too incomplete to conduct a proper background check.
School board chairwoman Rita Booher said the main decision for the school board was to choose whether they wanted an interim who only wanted to serve in the interim and then return to his or her regular position, or to have an interim who wanted to be considered for the position.
VanHuss did not want to be considered for the permanent superintendent’s job, while Gardenhour expressed his intention to apply for the position.
Booher explained the school system’s policy was not to allow interim superintendents to apply for the permanent position unless it is “expressly permitted” during the search process for all other applicants.
VanHuss spoke briefly to the board and encouraged them to consider Gardenhour for the interim job.
“If you think Dr. Gardenhour is a possible candidate for the position, consider him for this,” VanHuss said. “Give him that opportunity to see how he operates.”
Gardenhour said he was “humbled” by VanHuss’ endorsement. He said the school system already had an amazing administration in place and looked forward to what the future held for the school system, regardless of the board’s selection.
“We have an amazing group,” Gardenhour said. “We do have a great school board. We have the opportunity to move forward together. We work together and we make decisions together.”
Board member Phil Isaacs made the motion that Gardenhour be selected as interim director with the stipulations to be added to the search that he can apply for the permanent position. The motion was seconded by Tyler Fleming.
May made an amendment to the motion that the interim position take effect on Alexander’s retirement on Jan. 5.
The motion for Gardenhour’s selection was unanimously approved.
The board also unanimously approved the audit for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014. Alexander noted the audit had no true findings.