PICKENS COUNTY – School board members are moving closer to deciding who will be the next superintendent of Pickens County schools.

The board plans to name that person by the end of May, but in the meantime, members plan to hold a community reception for the final three once the field is narrowed.

Those receptions will be held May 4, May 5 and May 6 in the multi-purpose room at the B.J. Skelton Career Center from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. each evening.

The public is invited to attend the receptions, said Julie Thompson, spokesperson for the school district.

The board spent four nights last week interviewing semifinalists for the job but decided to reschedule one interview for Wednesday, April 22 due to an emergency.

They originally planned to announce the finalists shortly after that interview process but will now wait until after the rescheduled interview, which will take place in executive session, Thompson said.

The time extension for interviewing semifinalist will not, however, affect the schedule set for naming a new superintendent, according to Dr. Paul Krohne, executive director of the S.C. School Boards Association.

Along with the public receptions, the three finalists will take district tours the first week of May, meeting with principals, elected officials and key communicators with the school district, Thompson said.

The public can see the entire schedule for these visits at the School District’s Web site at www.pickens.k12.sc.us.