Earl No Longer To Be Considered

A controversial New Hampshire school administrator is dropped from Tulsa's superintendent search. Doctor Julia Earl has removed her name from the 2-person "short list".<br/><br/>News on Six Reporter

Saturday, June 10th 2006, 5:22 pm

By: News On 6

A controversial New Hampshire school administrator is dropped from Tulsa's superintendent search. Doctor Julia Earl has removed her name from the 2-person "short list".

News on Six Reporter Joshua Brakhage has more on this story.

It's a meeting that happened mostly behind closed doors. School board members said the Pledge of Allegiance, then adjourned to executive session to consider the fate of embroiled superintendent candidate Doctor Julia Earl.

According to her home newspaper, Earl has been suspended as Superintendent of Nashua Public Schools, In New Hamshire, pending an investigation into her travel expenses and unpaid taxes. The Nashua Telegraph reports Earl spent 40 days on trips in her 9 months as superintendent, flying across the country and racking up more than 9-thousand dollars in travel bills. The Telegraph also says Earl owes more than $150,000 in back taxes.

The Nashua School Board has hired an independent law firm to investigate the claims. In the meantime, she's suspended with pay. In a letter to the Tulsa School Board, Earl wrote "It's important to me that I remain to work through the difficulties at hand, as well as the clear questions that have been raised in the community."

The Tulsa board accepted her letter of withdrawl, even though it only leaves them with one candidate to consider for the district's top spot.

Matt Livingood: "Every board member had a contribution to the conversation, and we talked out all the various possibilities and scenarios. "

So what happens next? The board says they'll continue with their search and visit Brownsville, Texas, the home district of Superintendent Candidate Doctor Michael Zolkoski. They say just because he's the only name left on the short list is by no means a guarantee he's got the job.

Matthew Livingood: "We will weigh him. We will weigh him against our needs and we'll make a decision on Thursday."

Joshua Brakhage, The News on Six