DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - After a nationwide search for a new superintendent, the Decatur Public Schools board is now interviewing an internal candidate.
Two candidates were introduced at an online forum last month, but neither are being considered now.
Candidate Michael Gaal was not able to obtain a superintendent's license in Illinois and took himself out of the running.
The other candidate, Dr. Malika Savoy Brooks, didn't have enough support from the board.
"There was not enough support on the board. Normally a candidate would like to have a seven zero vote or a six one vote before taking a position and we couldn't achieve that," said Board President Dan Oakes.
The firm Hazard Young Attea and Associates conducted the search. Original estimates on the search were going to cost the district $24,590.
However, Oakes said the district won't have to pay that amount.
"We didn't end up paying the entire cost. So the cost itself was small and considerably less than we had paid on previous searches for what anybody will pay to find a top flight superintendent. So it's considered an investment not just throwing money away," Oakes said.
An internal candidate is now in consideration for the job, but until they finalize the decision to hire them, the candidate's identity isn't being revealed.
"Boards run a fine line between being able to talk about people and we don't want to have anybody put in a position where they're prejudged as to their abilities, which has happened in previous searches," Oakes said.
If all goes well, the internal candidate will be revealed at the school board meeting on Feb. 8.
