The Duval County School Board will narrow down its five superintendent semi-finalists to two or three finalists Monday evening.
Over the weekend, a focus group made up of educators and parents, including PTA heads, and other community members interviewed the semi-finalists.
Each interview lasted about an hour, with group members asking questions about budgeting, school safety and how the candidates handle tough situations.
School board members can use feedback from the focus group members in their decision-making tonight. Board members have already privately met with the candidates one-on-one.
The board is aiming to choose a new superintendent late Friday afternoon after interviewing the top candidates this week.
See: Full superintendent search schedule
Finalists
Sito Narcisse — Chief of Schools, Metro Nashville Public Schools
District Enrollment: 88,000, Budget: $890 million, resume
Narcisse has been chief of schools since 2016. Before taking the job in Nashville he was an associate superintendent in Maryland. He began his career as a teacher in Williamson County, Tennessee. School board members unanimously voted for Narcisse as a semifinalist.
Erick Pruitt — Area Superintendent, Houston Independent School District
District Enrollment: 215,000, Budget: $1.5 Billion, resume
Pruitt has worked with the Houston district since 2014. Prior to Houston he spent 16 years in Chicago working his way up after starting as a teacher. He’s also a former Marine. School board members unanimously voted for Pruitt as a semifinalis
Diana Greene — Superintendent, School District of Manatee County
District Enrollment: 49,000, Budget: $886 million, resume
Greene has been Manatee County’s superintendent since 2015. Prior to that she was a deputy superintendent in Manatee County and held in various roles with Marion County’s school district. Greene began her career teaching in Duval County for about a year in 1985. Six of seven school board members voted for Greene as a semifinalist.
Harrison Peters — Chief of Schools, Hillsborough County Schools
District Enrollment: 212,000, Budget $2.3 billion, resume
Peters was also the chief of schools in Houston for two years, and before that he held the same title with Chicago Public Schools for four years. After being honorably discharged from the Navy in 1995, Peters started teaching in Orlando. Six of seven board members voted for Peters as a semifinalist.
Michael Dunsmore — Superintendent, Wayne County Public Schools
District Enrollment: 19,600, Budget: $195 million, resume
Dunsmore has led Wayne County Public Schools in North Carolina since 2015. Prior to that he was superintendent for Tyrrell County Schools. Dunsmore was the head college wrestling coach at Shippensburg University for eight years until 2001. Five of seven school board members voted for Dunsmore as a semifinalist.
Reporter Lindsey Kilbride can be reached at lkilbride@wjct.org, 904-358-6359 or on Twitter at @lindskilbride.
