Fulton Independent selects new superintendent amid FBI investigation | News

FULTON, Kentucky – Fulton Independent School’s special meeting called Thursday was brief as the board appointed Terry Sullivan as the new superintendent.

“I’m going to make it clear to the entire area that Fulton is still a good school and that good things are happening there,” Sullivan said.

It’s been a difficult year for the district, as it is at the center of an FBI investigation stemming from a $1.1 million deficit. At the center of the investigation is former Superintendent DeAnna Miller.

The Kentucky Department of Education publishes school superintendents’ salaries on its website. Miller’s reported salary was $175,874, including the cost of her health insurance of $30,278 per year. Her actual income was $144,027 more than what was reported to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Following the announcement, Sullivan commented on the investigation, saying the district would “put the matter behind us.”

“I think these kids deserve some stability… But we’re going to move on. I want my supervision to be about the students. I’ll deal with that. No problem, we’ll deal with it. But I’m going to focus on the kids,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan is no stranger to the world of education and hopes to bring a focus to his new position when he takes office.

“That’s the most important thing. We will start to sort out the financial things on their own. But we cannot take any more time away from the students. They don’t have time, we can’t wait any longer. We have to focus on them,” he said.

CEO Carol Bransford said Sullivan was truly the best candidate for the job.

“Every board member went through every application we called, we reviewed them, we called references, we (conducted interviews). And at the end of every interview, there was just Sullivan,” Bransford said.

As the investigation progresses, she hopes to be able to build a good relationship with Sullivan from now on.

“I believe Mr. Sullivan will be transparent. We will be there for him whenever he needs us,” she said.

Heath Cartwright has been acting superintendent since Thursday. He will leave the post on August 2nd and Terry Sullivan will take over.