A search has been under way the last few weeks with hopes of naming a new school chief by the first or second week in March, said Board of Education President Tim Blanton. Depending who is hired, the new superintendent may not be able to begin work at Mid-Del until the beginning of the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.

“It just depends where they are now, and if they’re at another district, they may have to wait before coming on board here,” he said. “On the other hand, if it were someone from inside the district, then obviously they could start sooner.”

Twidwell (pictured) was named interim superintendent when former Superintendent Bill Scoggan retired June 30. Previously, Twidwell had worked as Mid-Del’s assistant superintendent for operations and teaching and learning.

“I told (the school board members) from the very beginning this was on a temporary basis,” she said. “During the last several months, I think we’ve brought stability to the district, in terms of finances, personnel and the (approved) bond issue. It’s been a wonderful experience, and I’ve certainly widened my relationships in Midwest City and Del City.”

But now, she said, it’s time to turn over the reins to a new, full-time superintendent who will continue to move the district forward.

“I’m pleased with the results we’ve had in the last year, but now it’s time to get ready for a new transition,” she said.

Actually, Twidwell never relinquished her associate superintendent’s duties. She continued performing that job, plus the role of interim superintendent. During her time in the boss’ chair, Twidwell’s priorities focused on unifying administrators, principals and teachers, and passing the $90 million issue.

“It’s been the rebuilding of a true team, which means working together,” she said. “Passage of the bond issue was the result of working as a team for the district. We really worked on building relationships to support the children and our educational programs.”

Community-oriented
Blanton and the other school board members are searching for a replacement who will be “a good fit” for the community and the school district.

“We want someone who runs the district from the school site, not their office,” he said. “They have to be community-oriented. We want someone who will move us forward in getting our new schools built.”

Part of the $90 million bond issue approved by voters in September involved the construction of two new schools for East Side Elementary and Soldier Creek Elementary, both of which will be built on existing campuses.

Blanton was quick to say that Twidwell would be every board member’s first choice if she would accept the job.

“There’s nobody on the board who doesn’t want her take it full time,” he said. “If she would have stepped up and said ‘I’ll do it,’ she’d have it.”

Still, Blanton and his school board colleagues are anticipating the job opening will draw a large pool of qualified candidates.

“I say the more, the merrier. The more we have to choose from, the better off we’ll be. Mid-Del is still one of the better districts,” he said. “This will attract a lot of good people. We’re a good-sized district and are probably in the top five or 10 in the state.”

The Mid-Del school board has contracted with the Oklahoma State School Boards Association to conduct the national search. Blanton said school board members would like to interview as many as eight to 10 candidates. An informal application deadline has been set for mid-January, he said.