It was long but it was worth the wait Monday night for Orangefield ISD Assistant Superintendent Shaun McAlpin. Just before 10pm the board voted 7-0 to name McAlpin the new Superintendent of schools.
“I was nervous when I finally got the call because they were very pleasant on the phone, thinking maybe I didn’t get it, but then they offered the position and I couldn’t be more pleased. It’s one of the best experiences of my professional life,” McAlpin said.
McAlpin, 41, has been with the district 19 years after graduating with the Bobcat Class of 1996. He’s worked his way up the chain, spending the last eight years as Assistant Superintendent.
“I have two kids in the district, ages 8 and 11,” he said. “And I wouldn’t want them anywhere else. I love this district and community. We’ve been through a lot together and it’s only made us stronger overall.”
McAlpin has to wait the mandatory 21 days before officially moving into the big office that was vacated in November when Dr. Stephen Patterson resigned after holding the position since 2012. Until then he’ll be working with Interim Superintendent Kevin Weldon on daily business and the eventual transition.
When asked about hiring McAlpin and a smooth transition, board President Dr. Ronnie Risinger said, “To be honest we weren’t concerned about hiring in house versus hiring someone outside. We wanted the best person for the job. We used an outside firm and Shaun rose to the top and beat out some outstanding candidates.”
Ann Dixon, one of the consultants during the search, asked for time to praise the board during the meeting, saying “I wished we could’ve videoed everything to show other boards how the interview and hiring process should be done. You all should be commended.”
The current board consists of (from left) Laura Clark, Secretary Brad Frye, Dr. Risinger, (McAlpin), VP Marc Wernig, Donovan Weldon, Bo Henley, and Treasurer Jesse Fremont.
-Gary Stelly, KOGT-
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