Sikeston schools begin search for new head administrator

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The search for a new superintendent of Sikeston public schools is underway.

Southeast Missouri State University announced May 25 that Sikeston superintendent Steve Borgsmiller was hired as the new director of the university's Sikeston campus with his duties beginning around July 1.

Sikeston School Board president Scott Crumpecker said board members have a plan to fill the superintendent's position before July 1, but it's not yet fully executed.

"We have a responsibility to provide information to the public, but at the same time, we don't want to divulge too much information because it might jeopardize some of our plans," Crumpecker said.

However, he said he's hoping the board will have a decision and announcement to make by Tuesday's regular monthly meeting.

Crumpecker said the board talked to Missouri School Board Association officials about its options to fill the superintendent position.

"One option would be to open up the position and make it public either to outside candidates or to internal candidates only," Crumpecker said.

The other option would potentially be to appoint someone from within the school district, and that appointment could be either a permanent or interim one, Crumpecker said.

Borgsmiller, who has 31 years' experience in public education, said his move to the higher education center was purely coincidental. His youngest daughter was graduating high school, and Borsgmiller said he planned to continue on as the district's superintendent.

"I like working here and was not really concerned with other employment," Borgsmiller said.

However, when current Southeast-Sikeston director Judy Buck announced her retirement in January, Borgsmiller said the news "flashed across his radar screen."

"The university didn't take any action [about filling the position], and I left it on my radar screen. It popped back up [in the spring], and coincidentally to all of this, there was the unfortunate death of Charleston city manager Dan Gruen [in March], and I put in an application for both of the jobs and was offered both of them," Borgsmiller said.

Ultimately, Borgsmiller thought the job at Southeast-Sikeston would be a better fit.

"It was an opportunity and the right time, the right place, and I decided to give it a shot," Borgsmiller said about the job at Southeast-Sikeston.

Borgsmiller said he hopes he can assist in the transition of the new Sikeston superintendent.

"It's a good change, and I subscribe that change is good. I know whomever the board gets as a new superintendent will do a good job -- and undoubtedly will do a better job than I have," Borgsmiller said, adding the job of superintendent is "a pretty big challenge."

Crumpecker said he understands Borgsmiller needed to -- and should do -- what's best for him. It's just that having to name a replacement within a month's time isn't an ideal situation for the board, he said.

"We wished we could've had some more time out of Steve so that at a point and time he decided he wanted to retire, we could've had someone in that position and him be in an advisory role and make that transition, but it didn't work out like that," Crumpecker said.

Crumpecker said he and his fellow board members feel like they've acted responsibly with the situation. He said they're trying to act quickly but also don't want to take this decision lightly.

The board president said: "This will be the most important decision that this board or any other board could make."

Pertinent address:

Sikeston, MO