The Phenix City School Board recently announced that Butler County Superintendent Mike Reed is one of five finalists for their school superintendent’s position that will be available the first of next year.

Phenix City’s Superintendent Tom Hackett plans to retire to take a professor’s position at Columbus State University.

Reed confirmed he is considering the position and will interview for the post the first week of December.

&uot;If they offer me the job, I would definitely have to consider all my options,&uot; Reed said. &uot;I’m not going to close any doors to any opportunities. I’m happy here, though – my contract goes through 2006.&uot;

The superintendent said he couldn’t divulge how much the pay difference would be because he hasn’t met with the Phenix City board to discuss details yet.

&uot;I learned about the job through a consultant, who told me about the position,&uot; he said. &uot;It was a case of both my pursuing the position and them contacting me about applying for it.&uot;

Reed said he also hadn’t ruled out any other positions should the opportunity arise.

&uot;If this job didn’t come through, I would possibly consider another job elsewhere, but it would depend on the district and the opportunity,&uot; he said. &uot;Of course, I want to stay in Alabama. I had a goal in mind when I moved to the state of Alabama, and I’m going to pursue that goal.&uot;

Area school administrators and Butler County board members were contacted for their response.

Board member Joanne Peak said she had heard about Reed’s interest in the position, and said if the superintendent was offered the job and decided to take it, it would put the county’s school system in a bit of a bind.

&uot;It would be a bad time to be losing the superintendent to the Phenix City position,&uot; Peak said, &uot;because of the financial situation for the state and county. Losing the superintendent right now would probably hurt more than any other time.&uot;

Peak said that the board would most likely call a special meeting in December to address the issue if it comes to pass.

&uot;We don’t usually meet in December because of the holidays and school being out,&uot; she said. &uot;But we would need to meet to make plans on what we would need to do when we met again if nothing else.&uot;

Principals Kathy Murphy, Carole Teague, Don Yancey and Alton Abrams were also contacted for their reactions to the news. Yancey and Abrams declined to comment. McKenzie principal Randy Williams was unable to be reached for comment.

Murphy said she wouldn’t begrudge anyone the opportunity to advance his career, but looked forward to continuing to work with him if his career kept him in Butler County.

&uot;Obviously it will have an impact on our school system, especially if it happens in the middle of the school year,&uot; Murphy said. &uot;Anytime you lose an administrator in the middle of the year, there are hurdles that have to be jumped.&uot;

Murphy and Teague both wished the superintendent well in his endeavors.

Teague said she was confident that if Reed were to decide to leave that he would leave the school system in good hands.

&uot;I’m sure that he would leave with a plan in place that would assure that he school system wouldn’t suffer because of his leaving,&uot; Teague said. &uot;As with any change, there will be unexpected situations to arise, but despite the adjustments that will have to be made, I think the school system will continue on in an orderly manner. I wish him well with his endeavors.&uot;