Fairfield County School Superintendent Dr. Samantha Ingram told The Herald Independent late Monday that she is honored to be chosen as one of the two finalists for the position of superintendent of the Montgomery County, Alabama school district, and if she is offered and accepts the position, the work she started in Fairfield County will go on.

Reached by telephone late Monday afternoon, Dr. Ingram, and Alabama native, said “I’m honored by the selection to have the opportunity to lead school reform and make a difference in my home state.

“However,” she continued, “at the same time, there is still work that needs to be done in Fairfield County. I feel confident that if I am selected for the Montgomery Public Schools, the Fairfield County Board of Trustees and the Fairfield School District will be able to continue that work because of the capacity (and ability) that has been built in at the district office.”

Ingram spent the latter part of last week in the interview process for the position of superintendent of Montgomery County schools, along with several other candidates, meeting with members of the Montgomery County Board of Education, teachers, students and community leaders.

This past Saturday, the Montgomery County Board of Education narrowed the superintendent candidate list down to two--Ingram and Barbara Thompson, superintendent of schools for the New Glarus (Wisconsin) School District.

“A decisions like this is difficult,” Ingram continued, “My detractors might think I could be abandoning Fairfield County, if I am offered and accept this position, but I have considered where we are at in Fairfield County schools and there is a capacity (even without me) to continue the work that needs to be done,” she said.

“(If I get the offer,) my final decision will be based on what’s best for my family,” she said.

She said the subject of Fairfield County came up during the interview process, and she discussed with the interviewing groups the successes and challenges the district faces and has faced, and talked about the work needed to be done.

Board of Education members will have a chance to see the state of the district Ingram has led for two years for themselves when they make a planned visit to Fairfield County later this month as part of the superintendent selection process.