By Blake Deshazo | The Selma Times-Journal

The Selma City School Board is one step closer to hiring a new superintendent to run the school system after interviewing the first of five candidates Wednesday night.

Reginald T. Eggleston, who currently serves as an assistant superintendent of Mobile County Schools, was the first to go before the school board and around 30 citizens that were in attendance.

Eggleston is currently in charge of 29 schools, including four high schools, six middle schools and 19 elementary schools.

Each board member was allowed two questions during the interview process.

Board member Brenda Randolph-Obomanu’s questions centered around academics. She asked Eggleston how he would improve academic achievement and encourage students to be “life-long learners.”

“I would look at our practices as far as what we’re doing within our schools, the professional development we are providing our teachers, as well as what is happening with our students,” Eggleston said. “It also means we have to educate our parents so they know exactly what the standards are and what the level of expectations is for our students.”

Randolph-Obomanu also asked why the board should hire him if they choose to do so.

“I have a vision for making Selma City Schools a premier school district. I understand the particulars that go along with that. I understand that you have to make that statement a vision so all of the stakeholders can support it, embrace it and be a part of it,” Eggleston said.

“I also understand that it takes making tough decisions saying no sometimes as well as saying yes to the right things that will support our teachers, who are on the front lines.”

Eggleston said he would also look at how the school system is spending its resources, which led right into what board member Frank Chestnut Jr.’s questions focused on.

“One of my responsibilities was facilitating a meeting between anyone that oversees a budget to make sure that we all sit down and look at what our upcoming goals are and how we plan on funding those initiatives,” Eggleston said. “We need to know exactly where our funds are going and what the end state would be by utilizing those funds.”

According to Eggleston, he was part of a team in 2008 that was in charge of reducing Mobile County’s school system, so making financial decisions and prioritizing spending is something he is used to doing.

One of the main points board members seemed to be impressed with was Eggleston’s emphasis of having a strategic plan and enforcing that plan by using it to guide their decisions.

Multiple board members showed discontent with how previous board members utilized the strategic plan developed for the school system.

“I am very disappointed at how the superintendents of the past have been addressing the strategic plan. It’s always seemed like it was just words on a piece of paper,” Chestnut said. “I was really pleased to hear you speak of that several times. We didn’t even have to ask that question. I think it is vital for our success.”

Eggleston echoed that importance of everyone being on board with the plan to ensure that everyone is doing their job for the right reason.

“I believe in a strategic plan, and I believe in looking at data and letting that data guide us in our actions,” Eggleston said. “In my experience, a strategic plan is what kept the organization focused when distractors appeared.”

The interviews will continue Thursday and Friday nights in the Selma High School Auditorium.

Jimmie Fryer of Conecuh County Schools will be interviewed Thursday, March 19 at 5 p.m., and Keith Stewart of the Bullock County Board of Education will interview at 7 p.m.

The final interviews will be held Friday, March 20 at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Avis Williams of Guilford County Schools and Angela Mangum of the Alabama Department of Education will interviewed.