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Dayton school chief one of three finalists for S. Carolina post
Mack: Columbia job enticing, close to home
Friday, May 02, 2008
DAYTON — City school Superintendent Percy Mack is a one of three finalists to lead the school system in Columbia, S.C.
This is the second time in seven months that Mack has been considered for a job elsewhere. In September he interviewed for superintendent in Mobile, Ala.
Percy Mack, Dayton school board deputy superintendent.Mack said the circumstances this time were much the same as with Mobile. He said he was not looking for a job but was contacted by a recruiter and decided to apply because Columbia was a quality urban school district close to his native Georgia.
Columbia, with 23,000 students and 50 schools, is larger than Dayton's 16,000 enrollment for 31 schools, but Mack said the two systems were alike in many ways.
"The community there has done some things, kind of like what we are doing here," he said. "They are working on a lot of things to provide support for the district from the leaders in the community. It's almost a mirror of Dayton, but closer to home."
Mack, 57, is a native of Savannah, Ga., and worked in suburban Atlanta before coming to Dayton in 2001. His three adult children and their families live in Georgia.
"As I have come to know Dr. Mack, one thing I appreciate about him is he is a family man," school board President Yvonne Isaacs said. "He loves his kids and grandkids and he frequently tries to get home to participate in their activities.
"The only thing that would cause him to look at leaving — and I believe this to be true — is something that would get him closer to his family."
Mack was promoted to the top job here in 2002 when Jerrie Bascome McGill retired.
Coincidentally, a consultant's report issued Thursday, May 1, largely praised the district's improvements in management and student achievement in Mack's tenure while recommending better practices in areas like busing, food service, finance and facilities use.
Mack will interview in Columbia on Tuesday. He makes about $140,000 annually in Dayton. School officials in Columbia have set the salary range for that job at $195,000 to $230,000.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2485 or
selliott@DaytonDailyNews.com.
