LRSD to offer contract to superintendent candidate

Little Rock, Arkansas – By moving forward with just one of their two final candidates in the hiring process, on Tuesday night, the Little Rock School District took a major step toward picking a new superintendent.

After current superintendent Michael Poore announced back in December that he would retire at the end of the school year, the job search began.

On Tuesday, school board members made a unanimous decision to recommend Dr. Jermall Wright for the job.

Board members were excited to continue with a final candidate as they took time tonight to thank everyone that took part in the search, after the over two-hour long meeting.

Candidate Dr. Wright comes from Mississippi where he is a current superintendent. Wright and another candidate were also both brought to Little Rock last week for in-person interviews.

Before the decision, State Senator Joyce Elliot (D-Little Rock) shared the only public comment in the meeting – voicing her support for Dr. Wright and sharing with us her hope for future action with the candidate. “…please sit down with me and let’s talk about what it means to have a world-class system, not one that’s based on adequacy. Adequacy is not good enough. Little Rock can be a light for this country if we decide to do it,” Senator Elliot said.

LRSD was careful not to say that they had hired a new superintendent, but rather that they are moving ahead with Dr. Wright as a final candidate, still pending additional background and legal checks.