BARTOW, Fla. — It comes down to six.
The search for Polk County Public Schools' next superintendent continues, with six candidates now under consideration. Superintendent Jacqueline M. Byrd announced her retirement last spring, kicking off the process.
The district – one of the Top 30 largest in the U.S. – earlier this month announced more than 50 people submitted applications for the job.
School board members, helped by a volunteer committee in identifying the candidates, voted unanimously to consider seven people. One person has since withdrawn their name from consideration.
"The consensus of the board was to move forward with the seven candidates that were presented to us by the Citizens Screening Committee," School Board Chairman Lori Cunningham said in a news release. "It was really important to me that we honor the work that they put in."
The Lakeland Ledger reports the next superintendent's three-year contract will have a start date of July 1, 2021, with a transition period in May. Its salary ranges from $215,000 to $275,000, plus competitive benefits.
The semifinalists include:
Harold Border - Chief of high schools at Orange County Public Schools in Orlando, Florida
Border previously served as an area superintendent, executive area director and held two principal positions within the Orange County Public Schools district, according to his resume. He holds a bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Central Florida.
Border previously served in the Navy.
Jennifer Cupid-McCoy - Area superintendent, West Learning Community at Orange County Public Schools in Orlando, Florida
Cupid-McCoy previously held positions as chief of staff at the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, executive area director and principal at Orange County Public Schools, plus other teaching jobs, according to her resume.
She holds a bachelor's in communication from the University of Pittsburgh, a master's in K-8 education from Cheyney University, a specialist degree in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University and a doctor of education degree from the University of Central Florida.
Frederick Heid - Superintendent at Community Unit School District in Algonquin, Illinois
Heid previously held the title of chief academic officer at Duval County Public Schools, bureau chief school improvement at the Florida Department of Education and principal positions at Orange County Public Schools, according to his resume. He, too, was a teacher at Booker Middle School in Sarasota, Florida.
He holds a bachelor's in secondary education and a master's in educational leadership from the University of South Florida. He has completed coursework for a doctorate in educational administration from Capella University and is working on a doctorate in leadership in educational administration from Aurora University.
James McIntyre Jr. - Assistant professor of practice and director at Center for Educational Leadership University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee
McIntyre previously held jobs as superintendent of Knox County Schools in Knoxville, Tennessee, and chief operating officer at Boston Public Schools, plus other budget positions within the district, according to his resume. He, too, was a teacher and held various fellowship positions.
McIntyre has a bachelor's from Boston College, a masters' from Canisius College and Boston University and a doctorate from the University of Massachusetts.
Michael Ramirez - Deputy superintendent of schools at Denver Public Schools in Denver
Ramirez previously held positions as cadre director in the Office of School Performance and Accountability at Broward County Public Schools, a principal at Coral Glades High School and was a teacher, according to his resume.
He has a bachelor's in secondary education at Southeastern College and a master's in educational leadership at Nova Southeastern University.
T. Nakia Towns - Deputy superintendent at Hamilton County Department of Education in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Towns previously served as assistant commissioner at the Tennessee Department of Education, chief accountability officer at Knox County Schools and held positions in human resources with the district, according to her resume.
She has a bachelor's in biomedical engineering from Duke University, a master's in business administration from Duke University, a master's in educational leadership at the Broad Center for the Management of School Systems and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy from Vanderbilt University.
(Antonie Hickman, the chief of student support initiatives and recovery at Broward County Public Schools in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, withdrew his name from consideration.)
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