City school system beginning new era

By Staff
Staff Editorial
The Russellville City Schools system has enjoyed great success and tradition during its 80-year existence thanks to the steady leadership provided by only four superintendents since 1929.
This week a new leader joins the beloved company of R.C. Thomas, Dr. Rube Courington, Dr. Robert Clemmons and Dr. Wayne Ray after the school board decided to hire Interim Superintendent Don Cox, who has spent the last eight years as an assistant for Ray and the previous 20 years as the football coach, assistant principal or principal at Russellville High School.
Cox, who will face painful personnel decisions this spring in finding ways to cut money from an already-prorated school budget, was the only viable candidate remaining after Dr. James Stevens, a superintendent and principal with Webster (Ga.) County Schools, withdrew his candidacy upon learning the search committee had decided to fill the position right away and locally.
Promoting qualified candidates from within is always good for employee morale, and we commend the city school board for conducting a transparent search naming a superintendent ahead of its Feb. 6 deadline.
Cox has all the tools necessary to successfully guide the system through today's tough economic times and into the next decade, and we urge the Russellville community to continue to show its support for the new superintendent.