Tom Sisk, superintendent of Limestone County Schools, said Tuesday he was disappointed he did not land the director of schools position in Hawkins County, Tennessee. Following a second interview Monday, Sisk was informed by text that he did not get the job.

Speaking by phone on his way home from the northeast Tennessee community, Sisk said, “he didn’t go into it not to be successful” but understood their board chose the “best fit for them.”

Sisk said he didn’t seek the position in Hawkins County, a district of approximately 7,000 students, but was recruited by Dr. Wayne Qualls, a consultant with Tennessee Education and Management Services Inc.

Attracted to the quiet mountain community and the prospect of collecting both retirement from the state of Alabama and a second salary in Tennessee, Sisk said he was torn between the new opportunity and the school system he has grown to love.

After an Oct. 12 meeting, the Hawkins Board of Education narrowed a field of six candidates to two finalists — Sisk and Matt Hixson, an assistant superintendent from a 10,000-student southern California school system.

According to reports, after the board interviewed the final candidates Oct. 22, they used preference forms to select their top pick for the position, voting 6-1 for Hixson as the best man for the job.

In the end, the board voted unanimously to extend the offer to Hixson.

Sisk said he felt the board sensed he had mixed feelings about leaving Limestone County and that may have influenced their decision.

“I love it here, that is why I had a hard time committing to the second interview,” said Sisk, who didn’t commit to the second interview in Tennessee until the end of last week.

Sisk said he didn’t receive any feedback from the board but was informed in the text from Qualls it was a difficult decision.

“You never know what they (board members) are looking for,” Sisk said. “Obviously, he fit their vision for the position better than I did. I believe Mr. Hixson could do the job and I know I could, but Mr. Hixson is a younger fellow and has young kids who will go to school in that district, so he has a vested interest.”

Sisk said he is ready to get back to the business of doing what is best for the students of Limestone County, adding he isn’t actively looking for another position outside of the county but wouldn’t be surprised if he was recruited again.

“If I could predict what was going to happen tomorrow, I would put my money on the horse races,” Sisk joked. “I haven’t made any plans to go anywhere, although I’ve been approached multiple times, and I suspect that will continue.”

School board member Bret McGill said when he heard Sisk didn’t get the position he was thankful the board wouldn’t have to go through a superintendent search.

“Dr. Sisk has been good for our system, and I expect that to continue,” McGill said. “I would expect him to do a good job for Limestone County and move our system forward. I wouldn’t expect that to change now.”

Sisk has a contract with the Limestone County School system through September 2021.