Richmond County School Superintendent Dana Bedden has been named the only candidate for a superintendent position in Irving, Texas.

Bedden applied for the job in January after he says the Richmond County school board took too long to offer him a new contract.

Now the board will have to find a way to raise Bedden’s yearly salary by more than $60,000 if they want to compete with Texas.

Board members say the school system has improved under Bedden’s leadership and they hope to keep him. But board member Jack Padgett says that recent budget cuts and teacher furloughs will make coming up with the money difficult.

"How can you pay someone more when others are losing pay," Padgett said. "I just hope that we are able to accomplish a fair contract and that we would be able to make an offer to him then we can move on to the other dire needs of the system."

The announcement comes on the heels of a new state bill that, if passed, would make it illegal for school systems to give raises to superintendents while teachers are being furloughed.

Tags: furloughs, teacher furloughs, Richmond County Board of Education, Richmond County schools, school superintendent, Jack Padgett, Richmond County School Board, Dr. Dana Bedden, Irving Texas