Board members discussed options for conducting the district’s superintendent search and said they plan to invite proposals from multiple firms and consider moving parts of the timeline earlier.

Staff presented background from the district’s 2019 search and said the board previously used OSBA and other firms; the presenter recommended inviting four firms for presentations so the board could select a vendor. “We could interview them. I mean, we would need to take a couple of hours and go through our past process and look at the questions… and we could simplify the timeline,” a staff member said.

Board members said search‑firm fees in prior work ranged from about $12,500 to $25,000 in 2019, and that modern proposals are likely higher; one board member estimated full search costs could approach half of the superintendent’s first year salary and mentioned figures in the $30,000–$50,000 range.

Staff outlined the typical firm‑facilitated timeline used in 2019: planning and community engagement, recruiting and posting, receiving applications (a window that previously ran through early January), screening and interview rounds, finalist forums and contract negotiation with a target hire by March and a July 1 start date for the new superintendent. Several board members suggested accelerating the schedule so interviews and screening occur earlier in January to attract more candidates.

Board members discussed firms to invite; the staff list included OSBA, Human Capital Enterprises (Hank Harris referenced), Ray & Associates, and McPherson Jacobson. Board members agreed to interview four firms and expected staff to schedule presentations in September. No contract was awarded at the meeting.

Staff warned the process requires substantial time — community forums, screening committee training and potential travel to final candidates’ current districts — and asked the board to consider concentrating search‑work into existing meeting days or adding targeted sessions so the search does not add an excessive number of extra meetings.

The board asked staff to solicit proposals and schedule firm presentations at the September meeting and to return with a recommended approach and timeline.