The Conway School District board voted 4–3 on Sunday to appoint Jason Black as the district’s next superintendent, with the appointment effective Jan. 1, 2026.

Dr. Jeff Standridge, who led the district’s search process, told the board the search closed Nov. 4 with “16 applicants across 8 states,” and that an advisory committee and multiple stakeholder panels narrowed the field to four finalists after extensive background and reference checks. He said more than 90 people participated in candidate interviews and the work amounted to nearly 610 person-hours.

A board member moved to appoint Jason Black and to authorize Dr. Standridge to work with President Franklin and Jay Beckett to finalize contract terms. The board then proceeded to cast individual votes, beginning with Dr. Petty; the recorded tally was four in favor and three opposed, giving the board a 4–3 majority to approve the selection.

The board announced that Black was chosen because he demonstrated “the strongest combination of leadership capacity, knowledge and experience,” and routed contract finalization through Dr. Standridge and outside counsel. According to the board, any finalized contract will be submitted for approval at the January board meeting and an official announcement would follow.

Dr. Standridge outlined the search process at the start of the meeting, saying the board approved the superintendent search Aug. 26, received 165 nominations representing about 100 unique individuals, and selected a 13-member search advisory committee that included parents, teachers, business leaders and higher-education representatives. Named committee members included Eric Bell, Shannon Knudson, Leo Cummings, Lindsay Jones, Chase Blackwell, Gavin Perry (student representative), Asia Ramsey, Sue Farris, Dr. Matthew White, Dr. Bryce Bennett, Tracy Jones, Tammy Marsh and Didi Kane.

Board members said they would not speak to the public or the press until the district’s official announcement, which the board said would be released within the hour. The meeting concluded after a motion to dismiss was approved and the board adjourned.

Next steps: contract finalization between district officials and outside counsel this week, formal contract submission at the January board meeting, and a public announcement to follow.