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The additional $20,000 in state funds is available due to a vacant elementary supervisor position at the Central Office, said David Steinbicker, school system finance officer. School systems receive state funds to pay administrative staff but have flexibility within state salary ranges as to how those funds are allocated, he said.
In addition to his salary, the school system will pay McCary's moving expenses, which Queen estimated at about $5,000, and pay him a $400 per month rental allowance until he sells his house in Elizabeth City. That stipend will end June 30 regardless of whether the house sells, Queen said. The school system will provide McCary with a $100,000 term life insurance policy, pay his dues to professional organizations and provide him with a computer, the board chairman said.
McCary said last week that he is "thrilled" to be selected to lead Jackson County's seven-school system. He and his family have vacationed for years in Yancey County, he said, and living full-time in the mountains has been a goal.
"It's like it was meant to be," McCary said of his new position. He is interested in fly fishing, whitewater sports and trains, which makes Jackson County an ideal location, he said. After moving to Elizabeth City in 1992, the smallest town in which he has ever lived, he and his family discovered they enjoyed small-town life, McCary said.
"I like the personal relationships that develop in small towns," he said.
The new superintendent said he is "humble and honored" at being the first superintendent in more than a century who is neither a Jackson County native nor a Jackson County resident.
"I feel humble in that, having lived in Elizabeth City, I respect people that have lived their lives in one place," McCary said. "I understand (board members) care in making sure whoever's brought in can help balance tradition and relationships with the fact that the world is changing."
McCary feels honored, he said, in that board members researched the way he works with people and chose him over other candidates.
"I feel like I'm being asked to join a community," McCary said. "I hope to create a dialogue to look at what's going on now and at our dreams for the future for our children. I believe we're creating the future by how we treat and raise children. We can find all kinds of things that divide people, but one thing that unites people is children."
Local school board members, who were unanimous in choosing McCary, are as pleased with their new superintendent as McCary is at coming to Jackson County.
"He will bring a new perspective to our schools," said Queen. "Not necessarily a better perspective, but a different one. Many times that's what gives a school system the impetus to set higher goals and achieve them. We're thrilled."
"I was very impressed," said James Roper, school board vice chairman. "He's very qualified, and I believe he'll fit in with our school system."
"He's very intellectual," said board member Mary Jane Dillard, "He's serious about helping children. That's his main goal as I see him."
"I'm excited. I think he's going to bring a new vigor to our school system. I look forward to having him on board and moving forward to make education better for the children of Jackson County, and we've hired a wonderful leader to do just that," said board member Ray Trine. "I think he's extremely qualified and well-respected in education circles."
A former first-grade teacher, McCary graduated from Yale University in 1970. He earned his master's in 1973 from Southern Connecticut State University and received his education doctorate from Harvard in 1983.
McCary taught first grade for three years at Indian Neck Elementary School in Branford, Conn., and was an education instructor at two Massachusetts colleges - Emerson and Lesley - from 1974 until 1977. He then spent almost four years as a project director at the University of Tennessee's Center for Government Training, where he developed Tennessee's first statewide training program for foster parents. He worked in business from 1981-1984 at ComputerWare in Nashville, Tenn., where he developed software and marketed computer systems to doctors, dentists and small businesses.
After receiving his doctorate, McCary spent three years at Vanderbilt University's Center for the Advanced Study of Educational Leadership. He moved to Durham in June 1986 when he became principal of Hope Valley Elementary School, a post he held until December 1988.
McCary's career as a school-system administrator began with Durham County Schools in January 1989. He served the 23,000-student district as administrator for research, testing and planning. During his almost-four-year tenure there, McCary developed "Test Busters," a district program to train school teams to use test data to plan instructional improvements. The plan resulted in a 19-point gain in SAT scores over two years.
Moving to Elizabeth City in July 1992, McCary took over instructional leadership for 12-school rural/urban district with more than 6,200 students. McCary's current district is almost twice the size of Jackson County, which has about 3,300 students.
While McCary has been at Elizabeth City-Pasquotank, the district experienced a 19 percent increase in the percentage of students performing at or above grade level on state-mandated tests and received the Governor's Most Outstanding Entrepreneurial School District Award (1995). McCary was instrumental in the development of a senior project graduation requirement.
McCary said he expects to be in Jackson County full-time around Jan. 15 and will work with Burrell to ensure a smooth transition. He plans to be in the area today (Thursday) and Friday in order to meet school system personnel. A reception for the new superintendent will be held today at 3:45 p.m. at Smoky Mountain High School, according to SMHS Principal Kenny Nicholson.
Local school officials conducted three rounds of interviews and called back two finalists before selecting McCary to be Jackson County's next superintendent. Board members interviewed five candidates, including McCary and the other finalist, Rowan County-Salisbury Associate Superintendent Howard Hurt, on Oct. 30.
Gary Steppe, superintendent of Cherokee County schools, declined the job last month, prompting the board to hold the third round of interviews. Three local administrators - Arlin Middleton, Sue Nations and Lib Balcerek - were among six candidates interviewed in August.
The position was re-advertised in September, and more than 20 new candidates applied. Steppe was among the first group interviewed from the second set of applicants; McCary was among the second.
McCary did not apply initially, he said, because he was unaware of Jackson County's superintendent search until the position was re-advertised.
McCary and his wife, Ann, a special education teacher, have two sons. John, 24, is a Vassar graduate currently in the U.S. Army studying at the Defense Language Institute in Monterrey, Calif., and Luke, 21, is a junior architecture major at Virginia Tech.
In other personnel action Nov. 9, board members hired Sara Shaw, prekindergarten teacher, Scotts Creek; and Roger Blount, bus driver, Cullowhee Valley. Board members approved two non-employee coaches, Brad Swayngim and Dallas Stephens, both assistant basketball coaches at Cullowhee Valley. Resignations were accepted from bus drivers Katie Wood, SMHS, and Jack Collins, Cullowhee Valley.
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