At last week’s meeting, the Cumberland County Board of Education voted to employ a combination of in-house resources and the Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA) to recruit a new director of schools. The in-house team includes Chief Operations Officer Kim Bray and Director of Human Resources Neeli Jolley.

Initially, Anita Hale proposed using only in-house resources, but after discussion, Scott VanWinkle amended the motion to incorporate TSBA’s services, which the board unanimously approved. To proceed with TSBA, the board must specify candidate search parameters, such as distance, salary range, contract length, and transportation benefits. TSBA offers a free initial consultation to outline their search process, with subsequent fee-based plans ranging from $3,000 to $15,000, each providing progressively comprehensive services.

The board plans to review these details in an upcoming work session to prepare for the consultation, which has not yet been scheduled as of March 31.

During the same meeting, the board reviewed the job description for the director of schools. Travis Cole moved to approve the document as written, supported by VanWinkle, who suggested discussing potential revisions. Both VanWinkle and Shannon Stout proposed several changes, leading Chairman Chris King to designate the document as a first draft. Stout recommended finalizing the revisions for a vote during the TSBA consultation. The board unanimously approved the draft, allowing for further refinement. Notably, Nicholas Davis, 5th District representative, was absent from the meeting.

The board’s next steps include a budget meeting scheduled for April 1 at 4 p.m. at the Central Services building in Crossville, though no agenda was available by March 31. The decision to blend in-house expertise with TSBA’s resources reflects a strategic approach to ensure a thorough search for the new director, while the ongoing revision of the job description indicates a commitment to clarity and consensus in defining the role’s expectations.