LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Jefferson County Public Schools has named two finalists in its search for the next superintendent, one of whom had a controversial exit from his last district and a large contract buyout.

The Jefferson County Board of Education announced Harold Brian Yearwood and Ben Shuldiner as the top two candidates to replace outgoing Superintendent Marty Pollio, who is leaving July 1 to become president of Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana .

Shuldiner is currently superintendent of the Lansing School District in Michigan, where he is credited with improving attendance and increasing graduation rates. He is a graduate of Harvard University.

Yearwood served as superintendent of Columbia Public Schools in Missouri from 2021 until the end of 2024. District leaders there said he helped improve student performance, however, his departure in December raised questions. A copy of his separation agreement shows Yearwood received more than $667,000 in a contract buyout. He cited retirement, but neither he nor the district has commented further due to a confidentiality clause in the agreement.

"The district made the separation agreement public in November following a unanimous vote by the Board of Education," said Michelle Baumstark, chiefs communications officer for Columbia Public Schools. "It was a mutually agreed separation.

"Dr. Yearwood indicated he would be retiring from CPS and provided attorneys that language. Many retire from public education and go on to do other things following their retirement. The Missouri public education retirement system also allows you to go on to other states and continue to work in public education."

Yearwood is also scheduled to appear Tuesday as one of three finalists for the superintendent position in the Christina School District in Wilmington, Delaware.

JCPS will hold two public Q&A sessions with the JCPS finalists May 20. The first will be livestreamed at 4 p.m. from the district’s Center for Professional Learning. The second will take place at 7 p.m. at Stopher Elementary School.

Taylor Everett, a member of the school board, said he's looking for a "proven record of academic improvement" and an understanding of operations and budget.

"I feel both candidates clearly showed past performance in those two areas," Everett said in a written statement Wednesday. "I completely understand the public's concern with what can be found online. No candidate is ever going to be perfect and when we dug into those issues during our interviews, we felt very confident in the candidate explanations. I encourage everyone in the district to come to the community forums on the 20th and ask the tough questions!"

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