By HEATHER HARTSELL
Leader staff writer
Dr. Frank Holman, superintendent for Cabot schools for five years, submitted his resignation Tuesday evening during the Cabot School Board meeting. It is effective June 30, when he becomes superintendent of Lincoln Consolidated School District near Fayetteville.
“My plans are to move up there and take a position with Lincoln schools,” he said. “It was a tough decision and I didn’t make it until 4 o’clock this afternoon,” Holman told the board. Holman said he had an opportunity to go back to Lincoln, where he had worked for 16 years. Lincoln’s current superintendent will retire at the end of the year. Holman met with the Lincoln School Board last week and discussed the upcoming opening.
“If he’s interested in us, we’re interested in him,” said Lincoln School Board president Connie Meyer. “I had planned to work here (Cabot) a couple more years and retire, but I did get an opportunity to go back to Lincoln, which is kind of my hometown,” Holman said.
One of his daughters is in northwest Arkansas attending the University of Arkansas. Making the move means a substantial cut in pay for Holman, who makes more than $171,000 as the Cabot chief. The district is expected to seek a successor to Holman soon.
“The great opportunity I’ve had here is unbelievable; outstanding teachers, administrators and board. I think we’re doing some outstanding things for students,” Holman said.
“People that know me – I don’t have any hobbies, I don’t hunt, fish or play golf, so I’m going to be doing something with the school business, but I want to tell you how much I appreciate this board,” he said. “Helen (Teffer), Jim (Dalton), all of our administrators, you all have been great with me, and I want to tell you how much I appreciate you,” he added. “We have some of the best teachers I’ve been around, so thank you and I appreciate the opportunity here,” he said.
David Hipp, school board president, spoke on behalf of the board, saying the district will get its money’s worth before Holman leaves in June.
“We’re definitely going to miss you,” Hipp said. “We appreciate what you have done for us, and we’re going to get some more work out of you before you leave. It will be hard to replace you, but we wish you the best and we know you made your decision based on what your needs are. We appreciate that and wish you all the best.”
Holman was the highest paid superintendent in 2003. In 2006, he was named Arkansas Super-intendent of the Year. Before coming to Cabot, he was superintendent in Arkadelphia from 1998 to 2002.
He worked for the Lincoln School District from 1982 to 1998, starting as a teacher, then principal and then superintendent.
He was a teacher at Clinton from 1980 to 1982; and a teacher and coach at Belleville, now Western Yell School District, from 1976 to 1980. Holman graduated from Arkansas Tech University in 1971. He is married and has two daughters.
