State Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley has intervened in the East Baton Rouge School Board’s superintendent appointment process following a second failed attempt to select a leader before a looming Wednesday deadline. The board’s prolonged self-designed process over six months resulted in no decision during a marathon nine-hour meeting that concluded at 2am on Thursday. Brumley’s focus is on Board President Carla Powell Lewis and Vice-President Patrick Martin, urging resolution amid division over interim superintendent Adam Smith’s candidacy. Powell Lewis and supporters advocate for Smith, while Martin and others oppose him, citing reasons detailed in a recent statement. Brumley is prepared to exercise authority to resolve the impasse but specifics are unclear. Adonica Duggan of the Baton Rouge Alliance for Students urged unity, while Board member Dadrius Lanus expressed willingness to find a compromise before the 72-hour deadline set by Brumley for a meeting with Powell Lewis and Martin, which had not yet been scheduled as of late Friday night.
