The Sycamore Community Unit School District 427 Board of Education voted to select Hazard, Young & Associates (HYA) to conduct the district’s superintendent search, with the selection carried subject to final review by the district’s legal counsel.

Why it matters: The search firm will manage stakeholder engagement, candidate vetting, and the district’s timeline for hiring a new superintendent. Board members said they valued HYA’s national network, retention statistics for placements and its capacity for community engagement; some members noted the firm’s cost is higher than an association‑led option but said the broader national outreach and consulting resources were important.

What the process will look like: The HYA proposal presented to the board lays out an orientation and launch in August, a period of stakeholder engagement including in‑person and virtual focus groups and a public survey, advertising, vetting and presentation of a candidate slate, and two rounds of interviews with finalists. The firm’s proposal included transition support for the selected superintendent, communications assistance and optional in‑district activities. Board members discussed the need to ensure the district’s local context is fully described to any national candidate and emphasized robust stakeholder engagement.

Vote and next steps: The board approved a motion selecting HYA, subject to final legal counsel review of the contract. The board recorded a roll‑call vote; several board members told the meeting they favored HYA for its detailed process and retention metrics. Legal counsel will complete final review and any minor contract changes; HYA would begin the engagement once that review is complete.

Taper: Board members said the district will work closely with the selected search firm to craft a leadership profile and a schedule of community engagement events to ensure the final candidate fits local needs.