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C.P. school top job has 1 applicant By VICKI GUARINO CENTRAL POINT -- Central Point schools administrator Candy Manary, a 25-year veteran with the district, is the lead candidate to take over as superintendent. She also happens to be the only applicant for the position, replacing Mike McClain, who is retiring. Manary, director of education for the 4,500-student district was the only person to apply for the top office by the district's Friday deadline. She said Friday that she applied because of her familiarity with the district and its recent academic reforms. She sees the superintendent's position as a continuation of her present duties. "The district is at a crossroads with its standards and it's a time to continue on with what we're doing," she said. Manary joined the district 25 years ago as a teacher at Central Point Elementary in the federally funded Title I program for children from low-income families. Later, she became dean and then principal at Scenic Middle School and principal at Jewett Elementary School. Manary has been considered as a likely candidate for McClain's office. She holds the necessary state credentials, and board members have expressed a strong desire to hire someone already working for the district. "They felt really strongly that we have qualified applicants in the district," McClain said Friday, "but they're not wedded to that plan." The board wants someone familiar with Central Point's curriculum and newly adopted academic standards. And they want the person they select to begin immediately working with McClain to become fully familiar with the job before McClain leaves at the end of the school year. Board members plan to interview Manary on Tuesday and make a hiring decision Jan. 26. The board has no plan at the moment to consider candidates from outside the district. "They wanted to do this as informally as possible and as expediently as possible," McClain said. Another concern is the high demand for superintendents. Around the state, about 30 openings are being advertised. Like the strong demand for teachers and low-level administrators, the demand for superintendents is linked to demographics in the education profession, McClain said. Like himself, a large number of superintendents have reached retirement age and are choosing to step down. McClain, 54, is retiring after 17 years as a Central Point administrator. He came to Central Point as a Crater administrator, and was Crater's principal for nine years. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford, Oregon USA