NATCHEZ &045; Five in-state administrators and one former superintendent, including Natchez-Adams School District’s interim superintendent, are in the running for the district’s top post.

In a Thursday night executive session that lasted several hours, the School Board narrowed its list of 15 applicants to six based on credentials, experience and the advice of consultants Dr. E.E. Caston and Cass Pennington.

&uot;They had a strong and diverse group of candidates to choose from,&uot; Caston said.

Semifinalists chosen for interviews Feb. 26-28 include:

4Dr. William Laverne Collins, former Houston School District superintendent and owner of Mid-South Computers.

4Mary Kate Garvin, who has served as Natchez-Adams’ interim superintendent since Dr. Carl Davis left in June and accepted a job with a school district in the Atlanta area.

4Dr. Suzanne Hawley, superintendent of the Benoit School District.

4Dr. John Gregory Ladner, superintendent of the Lumberton Public School District.

4Dr. Anthony Lee Morris, director of personnel for the South Panola School District.

4Jimmy Williams, assistant superintendent for the Tupelo Public School District.

&uot;They (board members) had quite an enviable task&uot; in choosing semifinalists, Caston said. Board members could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon.

Part of each interview will be open to the media and a &uot;representative group&uot; of citizens so board members can see how each candidate interacts with members of the community, Caston said.

A schedule of interview times for each candidate will be released in the next few days.

After those interviews, School Board members could visit the interviewees’ home school districts to gather more information, Caston said.

&uot;They (board members) don’t have a deadline for choosing a superintendent, although the candidates would need to know as soon as possible,&uot; Caston said.

&uot;The board’s members want to move as rapidly as they can and still do well in selecting someone.&uot;