Phenix City Schools superintendent Randy Wilkes leaving for leadership position elsewhere
Phenix City Schools superintendent Randy Wilkes is ending his eight-year tenure to lead a new school system in Alabama.
In a called meeting Tuesday, the Orange Beach Board of Education unanimously approved the hiring of Wilkes to be the Gulf Coast resort city’s first superintendent.
The Orange Beach City Council unanimously voted in March to break away from the Baldwin County School System to form an independent school district. Two weeks later, former Central-Phenix City head football coach Jamey DuBose was hired away from Lowndes County in Georgia to fill the vacancy at Orange Beach High School.
In 2018, DuBose led Central to its first football state championship in 25 years. Also in 2018, Wilkes was named the Alabama Superintendent of the Year for the improvement PCS showed since he was hired in 2014 from Crenshaw County: PCS raised its graduation rate from 63% in 2013 to 96% in 2017, recorded its highest math and ACT scores in system history and established a reserve of nearly $11 million.
Now, Wilkes and DuBose are together again in the same school system.
Wilkes was among five finalists last year to be superintendent of Hoover City Schools.
Orange Beach is projected to have approximately 1,040 students among its elementary school and middle/high school. Phenix City’s enrollment was 7,067 this past school year among 13 schools, including one high school and a freshman academy.
Robert Stuart, the Orange Beach board’s president, told Gulf Coast Media that Wilkes was selected from 21 applicants. After the board interviewed five candidates, Stuart said, Wilkes was the clear choice.
“When you go over his resume, it’s very impressive considering when he first came into Phenix City schools and where they wanted to grow,” Stuart said. “So when he left, all of his schools were STEAM-certified, which is huge. . . . When we asked him some of the harder questions, it was seamless. His answers were seamless, and you could tell his passion and conviction and his answers just sold everyone.”
The Ledger-Enquirer didn’t reach Wilkes for comment before publication, but he in the PCS news release Wednesday, “It has been an honor and privilege to have served Phenix City. This system’s potential is great. Phenix City has phenomenal people. I will no doubt miss each.”
Reaction to Randy Wilkes’ pending departure
Phenix City Board of Education president Yolaunda Daniel said in the PCS news release, “Mr. Wilkes led our system into a season of great success and achievement. Our community is truly grateful for the Wilkes family and their time with us in public education and beyond. We thank him for his visionary leadership and his high standards of professionalism, moral character and work ethic. We are proud of the progress the district has made during his tenure and appreciative of his commitment and dedication to our school system. We wish Mr. Wilkes and his wife, Cathy, the best of luck in their next chapter of leadership, education and community service.”
During his tenure, according to the news release, PCS:
- Increased its reserve from $3.5 million to more than $22 million.
- Received its first “A” on the state’s report card.
- Every school received STEM certification and Purple Star status (for serving military families).
- Funded more than 15 capital projects.
The Rev. Brady Baird, the PCBOE’s District 1, Place 1, representative, provided insight into why Wilkes is leaving Phenix City for Orange Beach.
“He’s making this decision for his family,” Baird told the L-E. “We’re just so thankful for his time here. Very sad to see him go, but I also support him in doing what’s best for those he loves and cares for. He’s got a really neat opportunity in front of him.”
And location.
“I can’t drag the beach up to Phenix City,” Baird added. “… He’s accomplished so much. We’re just grateful to have had him as long as we’ve had him.”
Baird noted Orange Beach officials recruited him.
“It certainly has nothing to do with a controversy in the school system,” Baird said. “… He doesn’t have that many years left to retire. I know his retirement goal was to finish at the beach or be at the beach when he retired, and this call says, ‘Hey, you can keep working and be at the beach and already be where you want to be when you retire.’ … So, really, it’s kind of the right place at the right time.”
What’s next?
The PCBOE met Wednesday in a called meeting. The only agenda item was to formally approve Wilkes’ resignation, effective June 30. It was unanimously approved without public discussion.
After the meeting, the Ledger-Enquirer asked Daniel whether the PCBOE tried to negotiate with Wilkes to convince him to stay. She declined to answer that question and repeated that his resignation was by mutual agreement.
Gulf Coast Media reported Orange Beach will pay Wilkes a base salary of $260,000 per year. Daniel told the L-E she doesn’t know what Wilkes’ current salary is in Phenix City, and the L-E didn’t obtain his contract before publication, but al.com reported in its 2020 list of Alabama superintendent salaries that Phenix City was paying Wilkes an annual base salary of $187,081 then.
That ranked 18th on the list. The highest was $235,707 in Alabaster City, which could mean Wilkes will be the highest-paid superintendent in Alabama, except al.com reported last year the superintendent in Mobile County received a raise to $266,000.
Baird expects the board to appoint an interim superintendent and not rush to hire a permanent leader, considering the new school year starts in two months. The board’s next meeting is scheduled for June 14 at 6 p.m.
“We will create a timeline that we think is acceptable based on the applicant pool,” Baird said. “There’s not a whole lot of (available) superintendents out there now. It’s kind of slim pickings. So we’re going to need as much time as we possibly can to find the right person.”
The most realistic hiring timeline would have Phenix City’s new superintendent start between semesters, Baird said, and be in place by January.
“Hopefully we can hire somebody before then,” he said, “but we are extremely passionate about finding the right person and right fit and not just filling the role.”
This story was originally published June 7, 2022 at 5:39 PM.
