CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Board of Education has named a new superintendent of schools, but again, not a permanent one.
With Dr. James Phares’ planned retirement coming June 30, the board voted Tuesday to employ Deputy Superintendent Charles Heinlein as State Superintendent beginning July 1, until the search process is completed and a permanent State Superintendent is hired.
The reason for giving the official title to Heinlein is because, under current state law, it is illegal for the state to not have a superintendent or have an interim superintendent.
Heinlein will be the second superintendent to serve on a temporary basis. In 2012, after the firing of Jorea Marple, the board searched for a temporary replacement and reached out to Phares, then-current Superintendent of Randolph County Schools to fill the void while a national search was conducted. Phares began serving in the position on January 2, 2013.
The national search is still ongoing but progress has been made.
Ray and Associates, Inc–the search brought in to assist—said it engaged with 248 individuals regarding the position.
From that pool, some 64 candidates spanning 43 states submitted applications.
Tuesday, the board engaged in interviews with three state superintendent candidates. No decisions were made at the close of the session today. However, according to a press release, when a decision is made, the board will share the information with the public.