The Wilkes County Board of Education has offered a contract to Dr. Rosemary W. Caddell to succeed Joyce Williams as Superintendent of Schools when Williams retires at the end of June.

The board met in executive session Monday to interview Caddell. "We had a good interview, and the board agreed to offer Dr. Caddell a contract," said Chairman Ricky Callaway. "I sat down with her right then to begin contract negotiations."

The contract will be similar to that offered to Williams, with an initial two-year term and annual extensions at the board's will. "Now we're just working out details of benefits and salary," Callaway said.

Callaway said he will go back to the board with the detailed contract before the next board meeting and have any needed discussion in executive session. Then the board will formally approve the contract in open session, allowing Callaway to offer the contract for Caddell to sign. "It is my intention to act on this at our regular meeting January 26."

In the search for an athletic director to replace Coach Russell Morgan, the seven-member community committee met this week to consider some 25 qualified candidates, Callaway said. "They met for more than two hours last night, and they report that everything went well," he said. They will rank the candidates and pass their recommendation on to an executive committee consisting of Williams, Caddell, and W-WCHS Principal Steve Echols. The board desires to have a candidate named before the end of the month, Callaway said.