Search For New Superintendent Suspended; Church Stays Through Dec. 31

ROCKY MOUNT- The Franklin County School Board today announced it will suspend
its search for a new Superintendent of Schools. The School Board began its search in
December after accepting Dr. W. Mark Church’s letter of retirement.
School Board Chair Julie Nix said that the immediate future created by COVID-19 with
subsequent closures and travel restrictions are the main factors in their decision.
“As a board, the decision to suspend our search for a superintendent was made to
ensure the safety of everyone involved in the hiring process,” said Nix. “We want to hire
the best possible candidate for Franklin County Schools, and the Board feels that our
ability to do that is significantly hindered in this current environment.”
The Franklin County School Board asked Dr. Church to remain in his current position
and delay his retirement until December 31, 2020.
“For continuity and consistency, particularly in these stressful times, the Board felt that
the best course of action for our school community would be to ask Dr. Church to
remain as Superintendent in Franklin County Public Schools,” Nix said.
The Superintendent Search process will begin again in summer 2020. The Virginia
School Boards Association will continue to work with the school board through the
Superintendent Search process.