Greg Adkins, chief human resources officer for Lee County schools, has been named a semifinalist in Hernando County’s search for a superintendent. Adkins moved to district headquarters in 2002, leaving behind his position as principal at Dunbar Middle. He previously was an assistant principal and teacher at Gulf Middle, and also taught at Pine Island Middle.
“I love Lee County, but am looking for more challenges,” said Adkins, 44. “The superintendency is a natural progression for me. Hernando is a great place to land. You wouldn’t need to ever look elsewhere.”
If Adkins gets the job, he won’t be making the first Lee-Hernando switcheroo. Lee County stole Hernando County’s superintendent in 2001, luring John Sanders five counties south to head up the larger school district. In 2005, Hernando hired then-Lee staff attorney Paul Carland, who became Hernando’s general counsel/school board attorney.
In 2008-09, Hernando’s annual budget was $447 million, and the district employed 3,113 with an enrollment of 22,000 students. Lee’s current budget, by comparison, is $1.43 billion, and the school system has 9,772 employees and 81,460 students.
Here is the list of semifinalists:
* Gregory K. Adkins: Chief human resources officer, Lee County School District.
* Bryan A. Blavatt: Former superintendent, Boone County Schools (Kentucky).
* I.V. Foster, Jr.: Superintendent, Prairie Hills School District 144 (Illinois).
* Sonya Jackon: Interim superintendent, Hernando County School District.
* John R. Phillips: Former executive director of school reform, Atlanta Public Schools.
* Ken Pritz: Principal, Hernando High School.
* Rose Terri McSweeney: Deputy superintendent, Shoreham Wading River Central School District (New York).
* S. Jayne Risen Morgenthal: Superintendent, Elizabethtown Independent School District (Kentucky).
* Arnold Spadafora: Former associate superintendent, Schenectady City Schools (New York).
Hernando’s school board will narrow down the pool at its Dec. 8 meeting, interview finalists on Jan. 11 and name a new superintendent on Jan. 19. The base salary is advertised at $100,000 to $130,000.
