The McComb School District will begin its search for a new superintendent on Tuesday, when a Mississippi School Board Association official will meet with the school board, officials said this morning.
The board is looking to replace Therese Palmertree, who announced Jan. 8 that she would retire this summer.
“We are looking for someone just like Mrs. Palmer-tree,” school board president Maurice Chester said this morning at a meeting of Palmertree’s key communicators committee. “It’s all for the kids of this district.”
The board has contacted Dr. Mike Waldrop, executive director of the Mississippi School Board Association, to assist with the search, Chester said.
He said the school board will try to keep the public as informed as possible, but there would be some information officials cannot share during the search process.
Chester said Waldrop will be in McComb to meet with the school board at a special called meeting set for Tuesday.
The search begins three weeks after Palmertree announced she would retire so that she could care for her elderly parents.
Palmertree, who became interim superintendent in June 2007 after the departure of Dr. Pat Cooper, became full-time superintendent in February 2008.
She said she could retire as early as July 1, but she’s willing to stay beyond that time until the board finds a new leader for the district.
Palmertree has had a 40-year career in education — 20 of those as a teacher and 20 in administration.
