Fayetteville district picks Springfield's John Mulford as next superintendent
John Mulford, deputy superintendent of operations for Springfield Public Schools, is moving to northwest Arkansas.
The Fayetteville school board announced Thursday that Mulford has been hired as the district's next superintendent.
“We are very excited to be able to offer this position to Dr. Mulford," said Nika Waitsman, president of the board, in a news release.
“We had an excellent pool of candidates, and after a careful review and numerous interviews, we are confident that we’ve made a strong choice to lead Fayetteville Public Schools. In the years ahead, our school district will benefit greatly from the wealth of experience and dedication to public education that Dr. Mulford brings with him to this role. We look forward to welcoming Dr. Mulford and his family to Fayetteville.”
Mulford will be the 14th superintendent in the 152-year history of Fayetteville Public Schools. He will succeed John L Colbert, who is retiring in June after a 47-year career with the district.
“I am humbled and honored to serve as the next superintendent for Fayetteville Public Schools,” Mulford said.
“During my interview with the Board of Education, I was inspired by their collective commitment to excellence while prioritizing the uniqueness of each individual."
Fayetteville, located in northwest Arkansas, has 10,500 students and nearly 1,500 employees. It is also the home of the main University of Arkansas campus.
"The overall feel that my wife and I got from our community visits, we felt it was a good fit for our family," Mulford told the News-Leader. "The vision the board has for the future of the district is something that really appealed to me and I feel that my skill set aligns well with and I could work well with the Fayetteville school board to accomplish the things they want to see for the district."
GR Recruiting, the firm hired to help guide the board through this process, said 57 school leaders showed interest in the job. The applicants were from 15 states.
Six semifinalists, including Mulford, were invited to interview in late January. Following that, the superintendents in Branson and Webb City were asked to interview in person.
Brad Swofford, who has spent nearly three decades in the Branson district, issued a statement after the interview.
"It was an honor to be considered for the position of superintendent of Fayetteville Public Schools in Arkansas," he said. "My decision to decline the offer for this position was due to my desire to remain with Branson Public Schools and continue the great work that is underway with our students, faculty and staff, and the Branson community."
The Fayetteville board regrouped. This week, Mulford and Jeannine Porter, chief of marketing, communications and strategic initiatives for the district in Irving, Texas, interviewed in person.
At a board meeting Wednesday evening, hiring Mulford was the unanimous choice of the board. The advertised salary is $275,000 but the final amount, and contract details, are still being worked out.
Mulford has had large presence during short time in Springfield
Mulford's exit from Springfield was not a surprise. Hired by incoming Superintendent Grenita Lathan, they started together in July 2021.
"My two years at SPS have been fantastic. Working under Dr. Lathan with her experiences and her knowledge has definitely helped me grow as a leader," Mulford said Thursday.
"I am eternally grateful to Dr. Lathan. I count her as a friend, as a mentor, and I will definitely continue to stay in touch with her and reach out to her along the way."
In mid-December, Mulford announced plans to retire from public education in Missouri but left open the possibility of working as a superintendent again if the right job came along.
A calm and steady presence in Springfield, Mulford spends more time presenting to the school board in meetings than any other top official.
He has been the point person, making presentations and answering questions, about a range of district priorities, including creation of the annual budget, the ongoing challenge of hiring and keeping enough bus drivers, and a significant overhaul of the human resources department.
More:Willard's Shane Dublin, formerly of SPS, is moving to Reeds Spring district
Mulford moved to Springfield after three years as superintendent of the 3,000-student Meramec Valley district near St. Louis.
He started his career as a math teacher in West Plains. He also coached baseball, football and track. He later served as a middle school assistant principal, high school principal and assistant superintendent.
He spent five years as the superintendent in West Plains.
His wife, Heather, has worked as library media specialist and their children are grown. John David lives in Kansas City and Morgan is a graduate student at Missouri State University.
Mulford completed his undergraduate studies in elementary education at Missouri State University, a master’s degree in secondary administration from William Woods University, and a doctorate in administration and educational leadership from St. Louis University.
Claudette Riley covers education for the News-Leader. Email tips and story ideas to criley@news-leader.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Springfield's John Mulford accepts top school job in Fayetteville
