No Decision On Interim Schools Super

The held interviews for an interim schools superintendent Monday but came to no decision on whom to hire, officials said.

John Tavis, school board president, said no decision had been made on who would fill the district's top spot after James Habel left on medical leave six months before the end of his contract.

The board will schedule another executive session to discuss the candidates, Tavis said. No date for that meeting was set Monday night.

The board is scheduled to meet in open session on Jan. 17.

Seven candidates were identified as potential interviewees, culled from responses from internal and external district advertising, Tavis has said.

The full, 9-member board was scheduled to conduct the interviews, Tavis has said.

Habel, who is in the waning months of his sometimes-embattled tenure with the district, will be burning up to six months of accumulated vacation and sick time. He officially went on sick leave last week to tend to an undisclosed medical condition.

Habel’s contract expires in June. A search for a permanent replacement also is underway.

In July, to take a similar position in Cherry Hill.  Gaffney's position originally was not going to be filled, .

Mary Jane Garibay, the new curriculum director, was hired in September.

Then, in October, former Assistant Superintendent Sandra Brower .

Meantime, Tavis has credited newly hired Curriculum Director Mary Jane Garibay, Business Administrator Brian Smyth, the administrative staff, principals and teachers for taking on additional duties while the board finds a temporary chief.