By Kyle Roberts
RUSTON — The Lincoln Parish School Board has reached a key milestone in its search for a new superintendent, with the application period officially closing April 3 and the next phase of the process now underway.
School board president Gregg Phillips said the district followed a structured and transparent process to secure and review applications. All submissions were directed to a designated post office box, which remained sealed until April 7.
“The deadline to apply ended last Friday,” Phillips said. “As agreed, I, along with (LPSB Vice President) Donna Doss and two representatives from the Central Office, drove to the post office. There we met with our legal representative and opened the box in front of everyone. We felt this was the most transparent way to do it.”
The board will retain the original application materials, while copies were provided to legal counsel.
The use of a post office box was intended to protect the integrity of the process and ensure confidentiality for applicants. By keeping submissions secured and unopened until the deadline passed, officials aimed to prevent leaks and encourage a broader pool of candidates.
All applications will now be forwarded to a third-party school system for verification of credentials and certifications. Once that review is complete, the board will receive a list of qualified applicants.
The Lincoln Parish School Board is scheduled to meet Thursday at noon at Cypress Springs Elementary for its regular monthly meeting and will publicly release applicant information.
The board will then schedule the interview process for the announced qualified candidates.
