Mehlville superintendent job offered to assistant

The Mehlville School District has offered its superintendent job to one of the district's assistant superintendents. Dr. Tim Ricker was one of a group of three finalists for the job that included Jackson superintendent Dr. Ron Anderson.

Patrick Wallace, the district's spokesman, said the district's board of trustees will meet today to receive Ricker's acceptance or counteroffer. He hoped a hiring announcement could be made Monday.

Thirty people originally wanted to replace retiring superintendent John Cary. The third finalist was Dr. Jane Reed, another Mehlville assistant superintendent. Ricker and Reed independently withdrew their names from consideration at one point when the board was having trouble deciding whom to hire, Wallace said.

"Both cited the wish for the board to be able to come to a consensus."

He did not know whether the two assistant superintendents reapplied for the job on their own or were asked to apply again by the board.

Mehlville, which has 12,000 students, has offered Reed a promotion to deputy superintendent.

Anderson's contract at Jackson runs through June 2005. Asked if he was disappointed in Mehlville's decision, he said, "Jackson would be an awfully hard place to leave. It's a wonderful school district and community. There still are a lot of challenges out there to work on."