INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Indian River County School Board voted unanimously to approve a $10,000 contract to search for a new schools superintendent.
The Board has hired Dr. Wayne Blanton, executive director of the Florida School Boards Association, to spearhead the search for Schools Superintendent Dr. Fran Adams.
Blanton guided the School Board in 2010-2011 when it hired current Superintendent Dr. Fran Adams.
The price tag for Dr. Blanton’s services was negotiated at $10,000, the same price he charged in 2010, according to Chairman Carol Johnson.
During a Sept. 23, Board discussion, Johnson laid out the District’s superintendent search options, which included hiring a consultant or hiring a national firm. Fellow Board member Matt McCain suggested the Board seek a bid from Dr. Blanton before further discussion.
“I can’t imagine anybody who’s got a better sense of what’s going on in this state in education,” McCain said of Dr. Blanton during the Board’s September discussion. “I think having a professional like Dr. Blanton, to use his knowledge, use his experience, and use his finger on the pulse of what’s going on now…I think that’s what we need to do.”
After the Board unanimously approved Dr. Blanton’s contract during its Oct. 21 meeting, Board member Claudia Jimenez said, “I’m confident that one more time he’s going to be helpful in making sure that our school district gets the leadership it needs to follow up the work that Dr. Adams has done.”
