Hickman County Board sets January 15 application deadline, agrees to post director-of-schools search broadly

The Hickman County Board of Education opened discussion on the search process to fill the director-of-schools position and directed staff to post the vacancy broadly, including on the district website and through professional channels such as TSBA. The board agreed on an application deadline of Jan. 15.

Board members discussed options: conducting the search internally, using TSBA (Tennessee School Boards Association) or other placement services, or using multiple posting avenues simultaneously. A board member noted TSBA’s fee could be around $7,000–$10,000 based on past experience. The board agreed to gather fee information from TSBA and other groups and to post the position themselves in the meantime.

Members discussed the timeline for hiring: that an interim or acting official (commonly the assistant director) would maintain administrative continuity while the search proceeds and that a target hire date around June 1 was realistic to allow a smooth transition before the school year’s end.

The board asked staff to prepare a job description and timeline consistent with board policy and to return with details at a future meeting; the board indicated it may call a special meeting or use the regular meeting schedule to review applications and set interview dates.

The board did not make a formal binding contract with an external recruiter at the meeting; rather, it directed staff to post the vacancy and to solicit pricing and placement options from TSBA and other providers. The board set January 15 as the application deadline and agreed to consider application review timelines after the holiday period.