District officials have contracted with the Oklahoma State School Boards Association to conduct the search, which began two weeks ago, said OSSBA executive director Jeff Mills.

Pam Twidwell was hired as the district’s interim superintendent following the resignation of former Mid-Del Superintendent Bill Scoggan, who resigned June 30 after six years at the helm.

“We’re in the middle of taking applications now,” Mills said. “Our prospective timeline is to meet with the school board in January, schedule possible interviews, and then our goal is to have someone hired by the first or second week in March.”

Search committee members plan to meet with local civic groups so they can understand the traits and qualities community members want in a new superintendent, Mills said.

right, Pam Twidwell and school board member Jimmie Nolen

“This is an opportunity to meet with leaders in the community and then relay that information to the board,” he said.

A salary range for the new superintendent has not been disclosed.

“That’s something the candidates and the school board will do,” Mills said.

Only a handful of applicants have inquired about the position, but the Christmas holidays are likely slowing the process.

“I anticipate we’ll see a lot of applicants after Christmas,” Mills said. “I think the prestige of the Mid-Del district will draw a lot of applicants. There’s a lot of people who are retiring or just don’t want to move, but I’m confident we’ll get a good pool of respected leaders for this job.”

Taking Time
Twidwell was hired as interim superintendent in June 2011 through June 30, 2012. Her contract provided an annual salary of $130,000 with fringe benefits, $8,500 in business travel expenses and a one-time $10,000 stipend.

Twidwell has said she did want the job on a permanent basis. Earlier in her career, she was superintendent of Tahlequah and Deer Creek school districts.

She was instrumental in the passage of a $90 million bond issue that will provide for two new schools and renovations at every other school site in the district. The election was held in September.

Prior to her appointment as interim superintendent, Twidwell had served the district as deputy superintendent for transition and assistant superintendent for operations.

Mid-Del’s school board did not begin the search for a new superintendent when Scoggan announced his pending retirement in March because of “so many issues going on at that time,” Twidwell said.

District officials were dealing with school closures, a declining budget, personnel planning, the defeat of a December 2010 bond issue, and the planning of the subsequent bond issue

Controversial move
One of Twidwell’s first major decisions created controversy. She recommended the school board cut 19 administrative positions be cut, leaving some employees with significantly reduced paychecks. The cuts were supposed to reduce the administrative office’s expenses by at least $500,000.

Ten administrators received pay cuts and demotions and six retired. The savings from the salary cuts of the 10 still-employed administrators totaled $190,558. The remaining $310,000 in savings was accomplished through retirements and 19 other eliminated positions.

The pay cuts ranged from $5,334 to $29,848, according to figures released by the district.

Despite the cutback controversy, school officials moved forward with plans to call another bond issue that was ultimately passed by voters in September. The measure received a 78 percent voter approval.

During the push to educate voters about the need for new school renovations, Twidwell made numerous public appearances touting the district’s plan to upgrade facilities and build new schools.