St. Johns County School Board selects 10 semifinalists in superintendent search

The St. Johns County School Board voted unanimously Tuesday to advance 10 applicants to the semifinalist stage of its superintendent search, moving the district closer to selecting finalists for public interviews.

The board approved a semifinalist pool that includes applicants identified in the meeting as numbers 3, 8, 11, 12, 15, 17, 20, 24, 26 and 27 — a group the Florida School Boards Association consultant said reflects a broad and experienced candidate field. "You had 27 total applicants," Andrea Messina, the FSBA consultant leading the process, told the board, noting applicants came from 13 states and that 16 held doctorates.

The semifinalists named by the board are: applicant 3 Corey L. Wright; 8 Clay Carmichael; 11 Scott Schneider; 12 Jessica Richardson; 15 Dr. Brennan W. Asplund III; 17 Dr. Mary Anne Simon; 20 Dr. Kyle Dresbach; 24 Sherry Forrest; 26 Dr. Randy Mollerwein; and 27 Louis Solano. The board placed those 10 in the semifinalist pool after tallying member preferences and discussing whether to expand the list.

"There can only be one crown," board member Miss Collins said during opening remarks, adding that the board had treated applicants as people, not just papers. The board’s vote to approve the semifinalist list was moved by Miss Slough and seconded by Dr. Linda Thompson; the motion carried on a unanimous voice vote.

Under the process laid out in the meeting, each semifinalist will receive five questions from the board. Messina said the board will require two written responses (500 words or less) and three video responses (approximately three minutes each). The board decided during the meeting that questions 1 and 4 will be written and questions 2, 3 and 5 will be video submissions.

Messina told the board the written and video responses will be posted publicly with a QR code for community input. She also outlined the next steps: the board will review those materials and later vote on which candidates to invite for in-person public interviews; the length of those interviews will depend on how many finalists are invited (Messina said roughly 90 minutes for three finalists or about 60 minutes for five finalists).

Board members also divided responsibility for drafting interview question banks by thematic area. Chairman Coleman took board, staff and community relations; Miss Collins took personal leadership qualities; Dr. Linda Thompson agreed to craft questions on instructional excellence and leadership; Miss Barrera took business, finance and operations; and Miss Lauer accepted performance accountability. Messina said she will provide a 25–35 question bank in each area for board members to prioritize prior to finalist interviews.

During public comment, applicant John M. Fanelli, who said he was not among those advanced, thanked the board for the consideration and wished the board well in choosing a leader. "I just wanted to introduce myself and thank you for the consideration of the position," Fanelli said.

The board was told semifinalist resumes, links and responses will be posted on the district website once the materials are received. The board will reconvene at a future meeting to select finalists and schedule public interviews.