FAYETTEVILLE -- The School Board introduced John Mulford as the School District's 14th superintendent in its 152-year history.
The occasion was the board's regular monthly meeting Thursday. But there was a special, celebratory spirit in the air at the newly remodeled Adams Center when Board President Nika Waitsman welcomed Mulford.
"It was clear to us that Dr. Mulford is the type of leader who cares about all kids," Waitsman said. "We have a leader coming to us who recognizes the value of each individual child."
Mulford comes to Fayetteville from Springfield, Mo., where he was deputy superintendent of public schools.
"I'm honored that I get to serve the Fayetteville community," Mulford said to the audience.
At the end of the meeting, the board briefly went into executive session before returning to unanimously approve a three-year contract for Mulford at $275,000 a year.
The superintendent search started with a planning session in September. The board chose Mulford in a unanimous vote during a special meeting March 8.
"It's probably the most important decision we make," Waitsman said of the board while mentioning the "blood, sweat and tears" involved in the process.
Mulford, 47, begins the job July 1. He'll succeed John L Colbert, the district's superintendent since 2018. Colbert, 68, is retiring this summer after a 47-year career with the district.
"It's an honor to extend congratulations to Dr. Mulford," Colbert said at Thursday's meeting. "If I can assist in any way, please let me know."
It's Mulford's 26th year in education, and he's been a teacher and administrator in public and private schools, according to a biography provided by the Fayetteville district.
Mulford said he knows he's "following a man they've already named a building after," referring to John L Colbert Middle School, which is under construction.
Mulford said the district's rich tradition and its history of academic excellence sparked his interest in the post.
"My care for people," Mulford said when asked about his strengths as an academic leader. "I was raised in the home of a minister. Our entire life was about serving others. I went into the field of education to serve people. I do what I do because I want to see others succeed, regardless of background, regardless of life experiences. Regardless of the situation, I want to try to help each individual identify their unique strengths and talents and develop those."
Mulford arrives at a pivotal time in Arkansas with the recent passage of Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' state education overhaul, the LEARNS Act.
"In general, there's an attack on public education these days," Mulford said. "I think that's a challenge for any leader right now. How do you navigate that while still focusing on kids and meeting the needs of the kids that walk through our door each and every day? And also maintaining staff and encouraging them that they are making a difference in the lives of kids."
After five years in the private-school sector with Heritage Christian School, Mulford moved to the public realm at the West Plains (Mo.) R-VII School District, the biography states. Mulford started as a middle and high school math teacher and coached football, baseball and track, according to the bio. He advanced to be a middle school assistant principal, high school principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent in the West Plains district.
Mulford then spent three years as superintendent of the Meramec Valley R-III School District in Pacific, Mo., the bio said, before moving to the position in Springfield -- Missouri's largest school district with around 24,600 students and 3,600 employees on 50 campuses, according to the bio.
Fayetteville's enrollment as of last fall was 10,426. The district's preliminary budget for this school year showed expenditures projected at $128 million.
Brooke Edwards (from left), a student support specialist at Holcomb Elementary School, speaks Thursday, March 16, 2023, with NIka Waitsman, president of the Fayetteville School Board, and John Mulford, deputy superintendent of operations for Springfield (Mo.) Public Schools, during a meeting of the board in the Ray Adams Leadership Center in Fayetteville. Mulford has been hired to serve as superintendent of the district. He succeeds John L Colbert, who is retiring after serving in that position since 2018. Visit nwaonline.com/photo for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)
John Mulford (right), deputy superintendent of operations for Springfield (Mo.) Public Schools, speaks Thursday, March 16, 2023, with Cambre Horne-Brooks (left), executive director of the Fayetteville Public Education Foundation, and Megan Tullock, vice president of the Fayetteville School Board during a meeting of the board in the Ray Adams Leadership Center in Fayetteville. Mulford has been hired to serve as superintendent of the district. He succeeds John L Colbert, who is retiring after serving in that position since 2018. Visit nwaonline.com/photo for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)Superintendent history
Here are the Fayetteville School District's past five superintendents and the years they served:
John L Colbert, 2018-2023*
Matthew Wendt, 2016-2018
Paul Hewitt, 2014-2016
Vicki Thomas, 2009-2014
Bobby New, 1996-2009
* Colbert is expected to retire this summer
Source: NWA Democrat-Gazette