WSFA 12 News Montgomery, AL |Butler County School Superintendent May Be Leaving

Butler County School Superintendent May Be Leaving

Posted by Bryan Henry  -  bio | email

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) -

Williamson County, Tennessee, school board leaders Barry Watkins and Susan Graham didn't just walk into Tiger country at Greenville High School but stepped on Butler County School Superintendent Mike Looney's home turf.

This is where they got a sense of who Looney is by taking a tour with the school principal, specifically the field house built under Looney's watch and getting some perspective from parents like Laura Fuller who is also the President of the local PTA.

"I hope he stays. He's been a good fit for the school district," said Fuller.

Mike Looney himself was not part of the interview process. He's already been interviewed twice in Tennessee.

Barry Watkins says he likes what he has seen and heard so far which includes the 30 million dollar school construction project Looney initiated but insists no decision has been made, no decision even though the Tennessee media has reportedly indicated Mr. Looney is the front-runner.

"I like his energy and he seems to have some good ideas," said Watkins.

If Mike Looney gets the job, he will enter a vastly different environment in Franklin, Tennessee.  Williamson County has 37 schools with 30,000 students while rural Butler County has 8 schools with around 4,000 students.

If Looney goes he'll not only go to a much bigger school district but he'll enjoy a huge jump in pay. $60,00 more than what he's earning now. Looney currently makes $121,000 a year.

And there's more; the average SAT score in Williamson County with 100% participation is 24. In Butler County where students are not required to take the SAT the average score is 18.2%

Mike Looney acknowledges he's hard-charging and perhaps may have pushed some too hard while running the Butler County school district.

"But I make no apologies for that. I have high expectations," said Looney.

Looney has already turned down a recent job offer in Birmingham. Looney says the 'timing just wasn't right' on that one.

The tour and interviews now and later the final assignment for Williamson County, Tennessee, school board members; pick a new superintendent.

That will come next Wednesday, September 2.

Mike Looney arrived in Butler County 5 years ago. The average stay for a school superintendent nationwide is just 18 months.

The other finalist for the Williamson County job is Dennis Dearden. Dearden is the Director of Schools in Marana, Arizona.

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