Series: Escambia Superintendent of Schools, 2008

All this week, Progressive Pensacola will be profiling the Democratic candidates in the 2008 race for Escambia County Superintendent of Schools. Republican Malcolm Thomas is unopposed in the Republican primary, and thus won’t be on the ballot until November. We’ll highlight him later on. Tuesday through Thursday we will profile the three Democratic candidates, in the following order:

• Tuesday: Claudia Brown-Curry
• Wednesday: Cary Stidham
• Thursday: Myra L. Simmons

On Friday, we’ll look at the overall race and make a few projections.

The Office

The Superintendent of Schools is responsible for the day-to-day adminstration of the Escambia County School District (ECSD), overseeing the District’s 70+ schools and centers. Along with the five-member School Board, the Superintendent is also responsible for general administration and policy.

The Superintendent’s annual salary is $130,436. Superintendents are elected to serve a four-year term.

This year’s race features one Republican, Malcolm Thomas, and three Democrats:Claudia Brown-Curry, Cary Stidham, and Myra L. Simmons. The current Superintendent, Republican Jim Paul, has opted not to seek reelection. The Democratic primary will be held on August 26; the winner will face Republican Malcolm Thomas in the general election on November 4.