El Paso ISD trustees and their search consultant agreed by consensus Oct. 7 on a schedule and outreach plan for the district's superintendent search, setting community listening sessions the week of Oct. 27'30, an application deadline of Nov. 5, trustee review of applicants at the Nov. 10 board meeting, initial interviews in mid-December and follow-up interviews in early December with the possibility of naming a lone finalist after the required 72-hour notification period.

The plan, presented by George Kazanis, the search consultant with the Texas Association of School Boards, calls for multiple community engagement events, an online survey, a video component for candidates and a centralized application portal. Kazanis told trustees the firm will "be more listening than talking" at community meetings and will provide a leadership report summarizing survey and session results for posting on the district website.

Why it matters: Trustees said broad community participation and a fair, consistent interview process are critical after a previous contested search. Board members pressed for accessible meeting times and clear posting and review procedures so the community and trustees can evaluate candidates on consistent criteria.

Most important decisions and dates

- Community listening sessions: planned for the week of Oct. 27'30, with three joint geographic sessions (trustees proposed grouping districts for coverage).

- Application deadline and review: candidates must complete applications by Nov. 5; trustees will review applications at the posted board meeting on Nov. 10.

- Initial interviews: trustees agreed the initial interview dates will be Dec. 14 and Dec. 17, beginning at 5 p.m., with each first-round interview slot typically timed and standardized.

- Follow-up interviews and lone-finalist posting: follow-up interviews are planned for Dec. 2 and Dec. 3; the earliest possible posting of a lone-finalist would be Dec. 8, subject to the 72-hour notice referenced by counsel and the consultant.

What the search consultant proposed

George Kazanis told the board his team will run in-person listening sessions across the district, operate an online survey and produce a leadership report that compiles themes from all outreach. He said the typical listening-session interaction "is a back and forth" but emphasized the firm's role as a listener: "we wanna be more listening than talking." He recommended 4'7 candidates be advanced to the first round and described candidate materials the firm requests: resumes, cover letters, short video responses (3'4 minutes), and other documents.

Trustee concerns and requested changes

Trustees repeatedly pressed for increased access and clarity. Trustee Claire, El Paso ISD Board of Trustees, asked that the district "block out at least a 3 hour block for each 1 of those days" for community sessions so people who arrive late from work or school still have access. Other trustees asked that sessions be offered at different times of day (breakfast/lunch/evening) and proposed combining neighboring districts for joint sessions to improve turnout.

Board members also requested clearer public posting and broader outreach: Kazanis said the application is posted through the TASB portal and that the firm will work with district communications to place links on the district website and use social media; trustees asked the district to consider flyers or backpack notices to reach families who may not follow online channels.

Interview format and candidate logistics

Kazanis recommended standardizing first-round questions (timed and identical for each candidate), using 90-minute interview slots for initial screening, and reserving 1'.5 hours for follow-up interviews. He said many boards invite candidates' families for short receptions (about 30'40 minutes) to let candidates see the community; he described follow-up interviews as more conversational and exploratory.

Trustees and staff discussed notification timing for candidates: the board will review candidate materials at the Nov. 10 meeting and the consultant will notify candidates of interview scheduling. Trustees emphasized the need for adequate notice for candidates traveling from outside the El Paso area.

Other meeting directions and next steps

- Trustees were asked to submit lists of 3'5 stakeholder names each to the consultant to inform targeted outreach.

- Kazanis agreed to provide weekly one-on-one check-ins with trustees and to share the leadership report and links to posted application material with trustees promptly.

- The board agreed to remove a site-visit step from the immediate timeline and to consider additional days if needed for posting or candidate logistics.

Public comment

Ross Moore, president of El Paso AFT, used the public-comment slot to ask whether a trustee would recuse if a candidate with ties to another district appeared on the list; his remarks also asked why presentation slides had not been posted. The transcript records his questions but no formal recusal action occurred during the meeting.

What remains unresolved

Several logistical items were left for staff and the consultant to finalize: exact locations and times for the Oct. listening sessions, confirmation of the Nov. 10 review materials for trustees, and the final candidate itinerary for Dec. interview dates. The consultant said he would "clean this all up and get it back to you" and staff will post meeting materials and the leadership report for trustees and the public.

Ending

Trustees and the consultant emphasized outreach and clarity as priorities for the search moving forward. The board set public review and interview windows that the consultant and district staff will staff and post; trustees will reconvene as needed if scheduling or candidate availability requires further dates.