Board hires South Carolina School Boards Association to run superintendent search

The Newberry County School District Board of Trustees voted to hire the South Carolina School Boards Association to manage its superintendent search, approving the vendor’s proposed timeline and fee structure.

Scott Price of the association told the board the typical search runs four to six months and stressed that “this is your search,” emphasizing the board’s control over candidate criteria and final selections. The association’s base fee quoted in the proposal is $18,000, with an estimated additional $5,000–$10,000 for administrative expenses.

Search process and timeline Scott Price outlined steps the association would take if engaged: advertise the position statewide or nationally, administer electronic surveys and focus groups to help define candidate qualities, screen and conduct preliminary interviews, maintain confidentiality until finalists are named, and perform deep background checks and reference checks on finalists. The association also provides sample contract language to help boards in the negotiation phase.

Board vote and rationale A board member moved to accept the association’s proposal; the motion was seconded and approved by oral vote. Board members who spoke in favor cited the association’s past work and success in prior searches.

Why this matters The board’s hire launches a formal search process that will determine the district’s next chief executive and sets an anticipated multi-month timeline for candidate recruitment, vetting and finalist selection. The $18,000 base fee and up to $10,000 in expected administrative costs will be treated as a one-time expense in the district’s budget process.

Ending Board members thanked Scott Price and indicated they expect to begin work with the association immediately; the contract and any associated budgetary accounting were discussed later in the meeting in the context of budget documents.