The South Pike School District is back in the search for a new superintendent following Dr. Estes Taplin’s announcement Thursday that he would retire next spring.
Taplin gave no comment as school board president Dr. Luke Lampton announced the superintendent’s decision to leave the district on April 29, 2016.
Taplin has been at the helm of South Pike for three years.
He declined comment when reached this morning.
The announcement came at the beginning of Thursday’s school board meeting, when trustees also heard a proposal from Mississippi School Boards Association consultant Harold Fischer, who offered his organization’s assistance in the search for a replacement.
The MSBA also helped South Pike fill the superintendent’s job when trustees hired Taplin.
Fischer reviewed procedures the organization uses to help school districts find leadership. Some of those steps include creating a brochure about the school district and setting forth criteria for candidates.
Fischer said the organization would seek input from the community about the type of person they would like to see get the job.
However, he advised against school board trustees attending those meetings, saying that could be counterproductive.
“The board will not attend these community meetings because people tend to tell these board members off and tell them what’s wrong with the district, and not give us the criteria they would like to see in a superintendent,” Fischer said.
Taplin joined the district on April 20, 2012.
His administration was marked by improvement on state assessments, as well as numerous administrative changes in the district’s schools.
