Kell hired as interim assistant superintendent by Nashville School Board

A familiar face will return next week to the Nashville School District’s administrative team, but only for seven months.

Joe Kell will serve as interim assistant superintendent from Feb. 22 through September after the Nashville School Board approved his hiring Monday night.

In the meantime, the district will advertise statewide for a full-time assistant superintendent to start July 1, according to Superintendent Doug Graham.

From July through September, Kell “will work with the new assistant, then go back into retirement,” Graham said.

Kell held the assistant superintendent position from 2006 until he resigned Dec. 17, 2020, fol-lowing a bout with Covid-19. His resignation took effect Feb. 28, 2021. Kell was one of seven Arkansas school administrators who were on ventilators during the early phase of the pandemic, and he was the only one who survived.

Kell was in education for 34 years, including 16 at Nashville. He was junior high principal in 2004 and 2005 before becoming assistant superintendent.

Graham hired Kell at Bald Knob as an assistant coach in 1986. From there, he went to Hope and Blevins before re-joining Graham at Nashville.

Graham recommended Kell for the interim position at Monday night’s board meeting, and members accepted the recommendation 5-0.

Kell’s selection as interim assistant superintendent was among a number of personnel decisions at Monday’s meeting.

Information for this story is courtesy of John Robert Schirmer/Nashville News-Leader.