Finchum Temporarily Takes the Helm
Sherry Finchum will take the temporary helm of the Jefferson County Department of Education as of January 1st 2018. In a School Board meeting Thursday evening, November 11, 2017, Finchum was hired as Interim Director when sitting Director Charles Edmonds exits the position of Director at the end of the calendar year. Finchum has been a staple of the Central Office Staff for several years and is currently serving as the Director of Accountability, Elementary Education, and Federal Programs. Her nomination came from School Board member Solomon and was seconded by Chairman Vines. Previously, Solomon had brought Finchum’s counterpart, Dominique Davis, as a nomination for the position, but withdrew this motion when discussion revealed that the parameters of the position had not been discussed. Applications were accepted for the interim position, and two applications were submitted: Finchum’s and one other. Davis’ decision to not submit an application for the temporary position was not discussed, but it was noted that, per policy, the Interim Director could not apply for the directorship. Finchum stated that she did not intend to put her name in the pool as a candidate for a permanent replacement for Edmonds. Finchum was appointed on a 5-0-1 vote, with Cox being absent and Fair abstaining.
In regard to the search for a permanent replacement for Dr. Edmonds, Wayne Quales will begin the advertisement process, and applications will be accepted starting in January. With an eye on placement in the early spring, Quales is expected to bring six candidates to the Board for review. Local applicants that meet the criteria for director will also be included in the interview process. For the purpose of the application process, local applicants have been defined as those that are currently residing in Jefferson County and those who were raised in Jefferson County but may be employed in other systems. The application pool will be narrowed to finalist, and an offer is expected to be made sometime in March. Interested parties can find information on the Department of Education website.
Other business included the passage of several policies (extracurricular activities 4.3 was pulled for review) and budget amendments. The Board allocated a little more than $191,000 for the completion of the renovations to the Jefferson County High School Baseball Field, as well as surplussing several items.
