For Immediate Release
Saturday, January 27, 2024
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AIKEN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD ANNOUNCES OPPORTUNITY TO MEET SUPERINTENDENT FINALISTS AT COMMUNITY RECEPTION FEBRUARY 3
As the Aiken County Board of Education moves forward in the selection process for the District’s next Superintendent, the community is invited to meet the finalists at a Community Reception being held Saturday, February 3, at 1 p.m. in Aiken High School’s new auditorium. This event is open to employees, parents, students, and community members and will allow each finalist a few minutes on stage to share about themselves and their vision, as well as an opportunity for stakeholders to spend time with each candidate during an informal reception in the atrium.
“The reception gives the three finalists a chance for them to introduce themselves to the public, and the opportunity in a casual setting for the public to talk to the finalists and get to know them a little bit,” Board Chairman Cameron Nuessle explained.
Community engagement has been at the core of the school board’s efforts to identify the right fit for Aiken County Public Schools’ next educational leader. Following current superintendent King Laurence’s retirement announcement in fall 2023, the board contracted with the South Carolina School Board’s Association (SCSBA) to conduct its superintendent search. As the nation-wide search began, the SCSBA hosted a number of Community Input Meetings throughout the county and also gathered feedback through an electronic survey. A summary of all input received was prepared for the board and shared with them, along with the public on the district website.
“I read every word of it,” Nuessle commented on the 68-page report. “We really wanted feedback from the community on what they were looking for, to maintain a broad perspective as we went through the selection process.”
The SCSBA’s search resulted in 18 qualified applicants. The Board met for a Special Called Meeting in mid-December for an extensive review of the applications received. With community input in mind, the board agreed upon a handful of candidates for interviews and conducted them in Executive Session of last week’s Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night meetings (January 16, 17, 18, 2024). From the group of six semifinalists, three finalists emerged and were announced publicly at the Tuesday, January 23, 2024 meeting. Finalists for superintendent include Chan Anderson, Ed.D., who currently serves as Superintendent for the Chesterfield County School District; Amy Edwards, Ed.D., current Chief Instructional Officer for the district; and Corey Murphy, Ph.D., who currently serves as the district’s Chief Officer of Operations and Students Services.
Finalists are scheduled for interviews in early February, and Nuessle anticipates a decision from the board and naming of Aiken County Public Schools’ next superintendent as soon as possible after the last interview.
“This Board of Education has endeavored to do a very thorough search to find the best candidate to be the next educational leader in the district,” Nuessle stated. “Right now, we are putting all of our efforts into finding the right person that is a fit for our district’s needs.”
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