COURTLAND
The Southampton County Public School Board on Monday evening shared a brief update on the search for a new superintendent. The board has been searching for someone to fill the position since Dr. Alvera J. Parrish announced her retirement in January.

“We’re are moving forward with the process and we are still hopeful that we will have the next superintendent named before July 1,” school board chairman Dr. Deborah Goodwyn said.

The board interviewed a number of candidates on April 15-30.

The 58-year-old Parrish was named the superintend in 2012 after a five-year stint in various administrative roles at Petersburg City Public Schools. Her contract was set to expire on June 30 of this year, but said that she was not pressured to retire by virtue of that fact.

“This is part of my career plan,” Parrish said. “There are other things I want to do. I invested very well early on in my career, and the benefits are going to pay off very well … This was my decision that I made on my own and I informed the board of what I wanted to do.”

Parrish added that her retirement is driven by the desire to travel and spend time with her family.