Four left in race for chief of schools

Terry Webster

Tuesday, Nov. 23, 1999 | 10:53 a.m.

One of the five semifinalists has decided he wouldn't want to be the new superintendent for the Clark County School District, after all.

Ken S. Burnley, superintendent of Colorado Springs District 11 in Colorado, has withdrawn as a contender to run the country's eighth-largest school district. He said he made the decision after an in-depth discussion with his family.

Ruth Johnson, School Board president, said she was disappointed Burnley decided not to pursue the position. Johnson said Burnley was an "excellent" candidate and that he displayed many of the skills the district needs.

Burnley was interviewed last week by the School Board and the Superintendent Selection Process Committee, along with three other candidates: James A. Fleming, superintendent of the Capistrano Unified School District in Orange County, Calif.; George F. Garcia, superintendent of the Tucson Unified School District in Arizona; and Joseph J. Redden, a retired Air Force officer.

The final candidate, West Virginia Department of Education Superintendent Henry Marockie, will be interviewed on Monday. The interview will be aired live from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Las Vegas 1, Channels 1 and 39.

"It was not an easy decision," Burnley said Monday from his Colorado Springs home. "It's clearly for personal and professional reasons. After I sat down with my wife, we really talked about it."

Burnley said considerations were given to his wife's career in Colorado Springs and their two children, ages 7 and 9.

"I appreciate the support and the process," Burnley said about the interviews. "I thought it was well-managed. The board and the search committee asked questions that were very stimulating."

Burnley suggested that his coming to Las Vegas was done in haste.

"There was just so much going on," he said. "I had a wedding to go to and I missed out for a day of getting ready for that. But they (the district's superintendent search firm) wanted to expedite things."

He also said he enjoys his job in Colorado Springs.

"I've been here 13 years and I've made a real commitment to it," Burnley said. "I'm a long-term person. I don't want to be in a place for four or five years. It takes a lot longer than that to make any real changes."

The district plans to name up to three finalists by the end of next week. A new superintendent to replace Brian Cram, who retires in July 2000, is expected to be named by Dec. 16.