Mathews Considering Another Job, Withdraws from Small La.Division Search

By Amber Lester Friday, March 12, 2010

Williamsburg-James City County Superintendent Gary Mathews has withdrawn his name from contention to become a superintendent in his home state of Louisiana.

Mathews was one of three candidates set to interview with the West Feliciana Parish school board Friday morning, but asked School Board President Sara Wilson-Wright to remove his name from the list late Thursday night. He told her he was looking at a position in another school system, according to The Advocate.

Earlier Thursday, Mathews was named one of three finalists to lead the Newton County, Georgia school division. He is vying for the post along with a retired superintendent and a high school principal and made the final cut after the original list of 51 applicants was whittled down to six.

"The board members will now work together to determine who would be the best person to lead our school system. Our next step will then be to negotiate a contract with that person. Our hope is to have this done as soon as possible,” said Cathy Dobbs, chair of the Newton County Board of Education, in a press release.

More than 19,000 students are enrolled in Newton County schools, significantly more than WJCC's population and far less than the West Feliciana Parish division, where 2,475 children "birth through 12th grade" are served, according to its Web site.

Mathews told the WJCC school board in November he was looking to move further south to be near his aging father. Prior to his announcement, he was a finalist to become Mississippi’s state superintendent of education, but was not chosen for the job.

The West Feliciana Parish board was set to interview four finalists, but another job candidate withdrew earlier in the week.