The man the Belgrade School Board wanted to lead the district as superintendent has turned down the job leaving trustees to go back to the drawing board.
It is unclear why Tony O’Brien, a superintendent in Newcastle, Okla., turned down the job, two trustees said Wednesday. The board voted 6-1 to offer the post to O’Brien on May 3.
“We don’t know why,” Trustee Dee Batey said.
Montana School Board Association attorney Debra Silk said O’Brien didn’t give a reason. Silk is assisting the Belgrade board in hiring a new superintendent after current leader Leland Stocker was let go this spring. After negotiating with O’Brien for more than a week, Silk said he called Saturday morning to decline the offer.