Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, February 12, 1994                   TAG: 9402120179
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

LIST PARED DOWN TO 3 IN SEARCH

The list was reduced to 11. And then to eight.

Now there are three.

And one will be chosen on Feb. 24 to succeed Bayes Wilson, who is retiring June 30.

The county School Board has narrowed the list after interviewing eight applicants in the past two weeks.

Chairman Frank Thomas said the three finalists are "all strong candidates" and each would make a fine superintendent.

But he would not name them or say whether they come from within the county school system.

"I feel good about them. We will have a tough time choosing [a new superintendent] because we have such outstanding candidates," Thomas said.

Thomas said the board might ask the finalists additional questions. But it will be ready to make the selection at its next meeting Feb. 24, he said.

Board members must choose Wilson's replacement by March 1.

With the help of a 10-member citizens' advisory committee, the board agreed on a list of 11 candidates last month. Then it chose eight for interviews.

Among the eight, there were four from the county system, including Assistant Superintendent Deanna Gordon.

The others included one from out of state and three others from Virginia.