COASTAL OBSERVER

The Georgetown County School Board hopes to have an interim superintendent in place by the middle of next month and a permanent replacement named sometime after the start of the new school year.

“That is our goal,” Chairman Bill Gaskins said at the board meeting this week.

Superintendent Keith Price accepted the job as superintendent-elect of the Lexington 1 School District last week. The board voted to release him from his contract, so his last day in Georgetown will be June 30.

Doug Jenkins, the district’s executive director of human resources, told the board the first step in replacing Price is to hire a firm that specializes in superintendent searches. Only a “handful” of these firms operate in South Carolina, he added.

The board’s choices were to put out requests for bids and then choose a firm, or bypass that process and just choose a firm due to a “procurement exemption” in state law.

After learning that requesting bids would add 60 to 90 days to the process because of all the steps that are required before the firm even starts looking for candidates, and discussing the options in executive session, the board voted to choose a firm, which will take between four and six months, according to Jenkins.

“This isn’t something that happens overnight,” Lindsay Anne Thompson, the district’s attorney, said.

“As you all know, this is the most important function of you all as elected school board members,” Thompson said. “It is a monumental decision for you all to make.”

Jenkins said a search firm will also advise on the pros and cons of internal, and external, candidates.

Thompson reminded the board that if it names an interim superintendent, it will also have to decide on a timeframe for how long that person will be in the job.

Jenkins said transparency and open communication will be vital during the selection process.

Gaskins agreed.

“We do want this to be a very transparent process. We do want to get community input,” Gaskins said. “Rest assured, to the public, we want this to go very smoothly.”

Gaskins told Price he was a “big asset” to the district.

“The leadership that he has provided us for the last four years has been remarkable,” Gaskins said. “We’re sad, but we’re happy for you. I know great things are going to come; for you and for this school district.”

Price said it has been an “honor and privilege” to have served the district since 2020.

“I have never felt anything but support from this board, from my team here at the district office and from all our employees, students and families throughout Georgetown County,” Price said. “Everyone has this school district’s best interests in mind and we’re all working as hard as we can, as unified as we can to try to bring about all that we think is right for the students and the families of this school district.”