Wake board sticks with Hargens

RALEIGH -- ******

CORRECTION

An article Wednesday on Page 8A incorrectly reported that the Wake County school board had chosen Donna Hargens to be interim superintendent after interviewing several internal candidates. School board Chairman Ron Margiotta said the board considered several candidates but interviewed only Hargens.

****** The Wake County school board named Donna Hargens on Tuesday to be the interim superintendent.

Hargens, Wake's chief academic officer, was named acting superintendent March 9 when the board put Del Burns on paid administrative leave through his June 30 resignation date.

Board members said they chose Hargens after interviewing several other internal candidates.

"She's a dynamic person and has the full faith of the board," school board member John Tedesco said.

Hargens' new salary will be negotiated. Board members have said they want to conduct a nationwide search for Burns' permanent successor, but that doesn't preclude Hargens or any other internal candidate from applying. Tedesco said it could be six months or more before a new superintendent is named.

Burns announced Feb. 16 that he was resigning. In interviews two days later, Burns accused the board majority of engaging in partisanship. He also criticized its plan to abandon the use of socioeconomic diversity in favor of neighborhood schools.