Pinellas County Schools is one step closer to finding a replacement for longtime Superintendent Mike Grego, who retires this summer after a decade at the district’s helm.
The county school board met Wednesday to narrow down the pool of applicants.
The board chose three finalists:
- Kevin Hendrick, Pinellas County Schools Associate Superintendent for teaching and learning,
- Michael Ramirez, Deputy Superintendent of Schools for Denver Public Schools,
- Ann Hembrook, Area Superintendent for Marion County Public Schools.
School board member Carol Cook is the chair of the superintendent search committee.
"I was pleased to see that when we were coming up with our final candidates, we were all sort of in the same group, which meant we were looking for the same type of thing in a superintendent,” she said. “I think the three people that we have narrowed it down to are excellent candidates. Each one of them I think would do a good job."
The county received nearly twenty applications for the role of superintendent of the seventh largest public school district in Florida.
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Throughout the discussion, members prioritized whether the candidate's experience was in a district with similar size and demographics to Pinellas, as well as how long they had served in leadership roles.
"Our district's very large, so we have to make sure that there's somebody that can step in and handle that kind of thing," Cook said.
Hembrook, Hendrick, and Ramirez will now have to answer questions related to the district's strategic plan via video and written communication. The candidates’ answers will serve as another step in getting to know each applicant better.
All three finalists will also be given background checks before the final round of interviews. The candidates will be brought in on May 11 and 12 for interviews and a tour of the district.
The new hire will be paid in the range of $275,000 to $305,000 a year, along with other benefits.
Superintendent Grego’s last day is July 1.
Staff writer Carl Lisciandrello contributed to this report.
