Hudson superintendent remains top candidate for Kentucky job

HUDSON

Three members of a Kentucky school board will visit Hudson next week -- the final phase of interviewing Superintendent Sheldon Berman for the top job in a school district of nearly 100,000 students.

The Jefferson County Board of Education voted today to continue with Berman as the sole candidate, district spokeswoman Lauren Roberts said. A final decision is expected by the end of next week.

Three of the board’s seven members will travel to Massachusetts and spend Tuesday visiting Hudson and its schools, Roberts said. Those members are Linda Duncan, Carol Haddad and Debbie Wesslund.

Berman spent Monday and Tuesday in Louisville, Ky. meeting with education and community leaders, who are wary of his lack of experience leading a large and poverty-stricken urban district.

A recruiter asked Berman to apply for the job, the only position he has sought in his 14 years at the helm of Hudson’s schools. Berman has been credited with creating the Virtual High School program and making a national name for Hudson, known for its service learning and community service curriculum.

The 58-year-old, honored in 2003 as superintendent of the year, has said he was intrigued by the possibility of influencing such a large district.

The Jefferson County district is the 30th largest school district in the country with 98,000 students in 157 schools, 5,700 teachers and an $890 million annual budget. It is 36.6 percent African-American.

Hudson’s district includes 2,882 students in six schools, 217 teachers, and a $26 million annual budget. It is 1.6 percent African-American.

- Jennifer Rosinski