Busted

Busted! And McFerson guaranteed the candidates that they would remain anonymous. Fools. They trusted McFerson.

Medina superintendent going for Olentangy job
School board still mum after meeting with two of four final candidates
Saturday, December 6, 2008 8:49 PM
By Jane Hawes and Mary Beth Lane

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

LEWIS CENTER, Ohio—The Olentangy Board of Education interviewed two candidates for district superintendent this morning behind closed doors, continuing a secret process aimed at hiding the identities of those being considered for the position.

One of the candidates interviewed yesterday was Randy Stepp, who has been the superintendent of Medina schools, in northeastern Ohio, since 2006.

Stepp did not appear at the open portion of the special meeting held at Glen Oak Elementary School in the Delaware County district. But his car, emblazoned with Medina City Schools parking stickers, was parked behind the school.

When asked about Stepp after the meeting, board Vice President Dimon McFerson simply repeated, "We interviewed two people today."

The board, which has prohibited itself from identifying candidates, plans to continue interviews Monday at 5:45 p.m. at the district's administrative offices. McFerson told the four other board members yesterday that there are now four candidates because one is no longer in the running. Medina school board member William Grenfell said this morning that he knew Stepp was interviewing for the Olentangy job.

"I'll bet the 'Go Bees' plate was a dead giveaway," Grenfell said, referring to Stepp's personalized license plate. The Medina mascot is the Battling Bee.

Grenfell said he thinks very highly of Stepp's work in the district but does not object to him looking at openings elsewhere. "We would never stand in the way of any employee pursuing an opportunity," he said.

Grenfell differed with the Olentangy board's attempts to keep its search secret.

"We would not operate that way," he said. "I don't know all the circumstances at Olentangy, but my opinion has always been the school district belongs to the people."

Patrick Grubbe, a parent in the district who attended the open portion of the special meeting, said he objects to the secrecy.

"By the way they are handling the process, it says to me they are not being transparent," he said.

The board is trying to fill a vacancy left by Scott Davis, who resigned in April for health reasons.

McFerson is in charge of the board's superintendent search. He has said confidentiality is vital to securing a new district leader and that he is the only board member who knows the names of all the candidates.

The two finalists for superintendent will be publicly identified, he said again yesterday.