The race to lead Wilson County Schools is officially down to two. The Wilson County Board of Education has narrowed its search for the next director of schools to Madison Creek Elementary principal Duncan and current deputy director of operations Travis Mayfield, with final interviews set for next Wednesday. Current Director Jeff Luttrell, who announced his retirement in March, is expected to step down at the end of June.
Next steps and timeline
The district has put its roadmap in writing. On its Director of Schools Search page, the board explains that it pulled the top two contenders from a dozen applicants and scheduled two final interview slots on May 13. A board vote is planned for May 20, with contract approval slated for the following week. According to Wilson County Schools, the new director is expected to begin work on July 1, 2026.
How the final interviews will work
Local station WSMV reports that each finalist will sit for a roughly two-hour interview with the board. One of the questions on the list will tackle salary head-on, a topic that tends to draw close public attention. The station also notes that the district plans to record the sessions and post them after the interviews wrap, giving residents a chance to watch how each candidate handles the spotlight.
Who the finalists are
According to Wilson County Schools, Jonathon Duncan currently serves as principal of Madison Creek Elementary in neighboring Sumner County, while Travis Mayfield is the district's deputy director of operations. Both candidates’ resumes and role descriptions are posted on the district’s search page, which shows how the board narrowed the field from 12 applicants to five finalists before landing on the final two. The same materials note that parent and staff survey input was part of the board’s selection process.
Community input and what to watch
The search has not played out entirely behind closed doors. The district conducted parent and staff surveys in March and hosted a public meet-and-greet with finalists on April 24, giving families and employees a look at the contenders before the home stretch, as reported by The Tennessee Firefly. The BOE's May 13 interview sessions and the May 20 vote will follow the district's standard public-meeting rules, and WSMV reports that the district plans to record and release the interviews for anyone who cannot attend in person.
Residents who want to follow every step can keep an eye on the board's public calendar and the district's Director of Schools page for meeting times and posted recordings. At this point, Wilson County's choice comes down to a home-grown operations leader and an elementary principal from just over the county line, a matchup that hints the board is weighing continuity against building-level experience as it picks its next schools chief.
