Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Superintendent Search topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fort Smith board selects McPherson & Jacobson to negotiate superintendent search contract
Summary
The Fort Smith Public Schools Board of Education voted 7-0 on Jan. 7 to authorize contract negotiations with McPherson & Jacobson LLC to manage its superintendent search, contingent on receipt of Superintendent Dr. Morawski’s letter of resignation.
The Fort Smith Public Schools Board of Education on Tuesday voted to authorize contract negotiations with McPherson & Jacobson LLC to manage the district’s superintendent search, contingent on receipt of Superintendent Dr. Morawski’s letter of resignation.
The board president said the district issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) on Dec. 20 with a submission deadline of Jan. 6 and that the district received five submissions: Ray and Associates; Education Partners (led by Mike Poore); McPherson & Jacobson; JG Consulting; and DPI Staffing (submitted by Fort Smith native Myles Crawford). The board president said the RFQ requested qualifications only and did not require pricing, though some firms included typical pricing in their packets.
Board members discussed evaluation criteria for the submissions, repeatedly highlighting the importance of the consultant team assigned to the search (the "key staff"), firms' experience conducting superintendent searches, the scope of services and post-hire guarantees, and the firms' ability to recruit candidates to Fort Smith. Several members noted McPherson & Jacobson's combination of Arkansas-based staff and national reach; other firms discussed included Ray and Associates, Education Partners, JG Consulting and DPI Staffing. One board member noted JG Consulting’s proprietary candidate-data software; another emphasized Education Partners’ board-coaching services.
Dr. Morawski, who spoke to the board at the meeting, said he would serve as a resource during the process but acknowledged the board’s need to keep distance; he said he had not yet submitted a resignation and that, if a contract were executed on Jan. 13, he could provide a resignation as soon as Jan. 14 with a planned effective date of July 1.
After discussion and a motion, the board amended the motion to authorize district staff and the board president to engage in contract negotiations with McPherson & Jacobson LLC following receipt of Dr. Morawski’s letter of resignation. The amended motion passed by a vote of 7 in favor, 0 opposed.
Board members emphasized next steps would include negotiations (including fee discussions) and, if negotiations fail, the board would reconvene to consider alternate options or to reopen the process. The board president and district counsel were authorized to proceed with negotiations once the resignation letter is received.
Votes at a glance: The board’s amended motion to authorize the district and board president to negotiate a superintendent-search contract with McPherson & Jacobson LLC, contingent on receipt of Dr. Morawski’s letter of resignation, passed 7–0.
The meeting began with the board president noting the purpose of the called meeting — review and discussion of search-firm submissions — and closed shortly after the vote; no other business was taken up.
