Rheault to head state education

Monday, Jan. 12, 2004 | 8:44 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Keith Rheault, deputy state superintendent of public instruction for the past eight years, has been named interim chief of the Nevada Education Department while a search is conducted for a permanent superintendent.

A divided state Board of Education decided Saturday to spend $10,000 for a limited search to replace Superintendent Jack McLaughlin, who plans to leave the job Jan. 31 because of health problems.

Rheault has the support of some board members for the top job that pays $107,433 a year.

Board member Barbara Myers of Carson City said she may nominate Rheault for superintendent at the next board meeting Jan. 30 while the search is still under way.

Board member Marcia Washington of Las Vegas said Rheault, 49, knows the board and the Legislature. She said she favored hiring Rheault now.

But board members Theresa Malone, Dorothy Nolan, Patrick Boylan, all of Las Vegas, and John Gwaltney of Reno favored a search.

"We should take our time and get the right person," Boylan said. "To appoint without a search doesn't sound kosher to me."

The board decided that it would consider all of the applications, rather than having a subcommittee review them first.

Hawk suggested there may be more than 100 applications; other board members suggested there would be much fewer.

The board will post the vacancy on the Internet and in Nevada newspapers and contact educational groups for possible candidates.

The application process will close Feb. 15 and the board will conduct a special meeting in Las Vegas Feb. 21 to review those who applied. The board will then interview the finalists at its March 19-20 meeting.