Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
The Tucumcari Public Schools board interviewed three candidates for superintendent on Friday, though a decision on who to hire probably won’t happen for another 10 days or so.
The board interviewed current Tucumcari Middle School principal Lendall Borden, Santa Fe Public Schools assistant superintendent for instruction and school support Carl Marano and Explore Academy of Albuquerque assistant principal Anthony Branch for the position.
A fourth candidate scheduled to be interviewed, Lovington Municipal Schools principal Steve Barron, dropped out of consideration a few days before.
A total of eight people applied for the position to replace Aaron McKinney, who retired as TPS superintendent on Jan. 1 after 18 years.
The board set aside 90-minute blocks of time for the interviews Friday. Borden and Marano were interviewed during the morning, and Branch was interviewed in the early afternoon.
Borden and Marano each were behind closed doors with the board, interim superintendent Dave Johnson and administrative assistant Veronica Hernandez for about 75 minutes. Branch met with the board, Johnson and Hernandez for a bit less than an hour.
Board President Heather Gonzales announced shortly before the board adjourned Friday it had declined to schedule follow-up interviews for Saturday.
The board was scheduled to hold its regular meeting Monday, but the agenda did not contain an action item for hiring a superintendent.
Johnson confirmed the board would not make a hire on Monday. He said the board probably would convene a special meeting during the week of April 22 for that purpose.
Other applicants for TPS superintendent were Carla Spaniel, consultant at Cooperative Educational Services in Albuquerque; Jeffrey Spaletta, former superintendent at Cobre Consolidated School District; Curtis Clough, interim superintendent at Corona Public Schools; and Nicholas Williams, former principal, football coach and athletic director at Booker Independent School District in Texas.
Williams was hired as a teacher and football and track coach at Aztec Municipal District in March.