The Fayette County School Board is expected to announce its choice for superintendent Monday night at its regularly scheduled meeting, but the suspense may be absent.

Published reports have quoted board member Woody Shelnutt as saying a board majority has settled on a system insider, Dr. John DeCotis, the school district's assistant superintendent for curriculum

DeCotis was the sole candidate interviewed for the top slot last Friday, despite 24 applications received.

"There is an answer for that," said board member Mickey Littlefield. He said he would explain the reason behind the board's decision to interview only DeCotis after the official announcement. Until that time, Littlefield said he would "do what the board's attorney told me to do," and keep the personnel information confidential.

Board members Connie Hale and Woody Shelnutt said they had wanted to interview the top five candidates selected by the search firm hired by the board.

"The majority of the board decided to interview one," Hale said. "There were some real outstanding people," Shelnutt said, of the applicants. "I thought when we started, we'd interview the top five," Shelnutt said. But upon arriving for the special called meeting Friday at the Wyndham Conference Center in Peachtree City, Shelnutt said he found "only one (candidate) invited."

"There is no communication between us," he said of the board.

"There is two of us and three of them," Shelnutt said, referring to the Hale and Shelnutt faction versus the Condon, Littlefield and Greg Powers formation. He said the called board meeting Tuesday focused on drafting a proposed contract for the new superintendent.

While no one on the board would confirm that DeCotis will be the new school superintendent, taking over from Dr. Dave Brotherton upon his retirement in June, Shelnutt added, "You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out."

The official naming of DeCotis as superintendent will open up his current position. Hale said it "would be up to the new superintendent" to fill the vacancy.