The Vancouver Public Schools Board of Directors interviewed three firms on June 17 to lead the district’s search for a permanent superintendent: Ray and Associates, Hazard, Young, Attea (HYA), and McPherson & Jacobson.

Board Chair Kathy Decker said the interviews would inform a deliberation session scheduled for the board the next morning at 9 a.m., when directors will decide which firm to select for the work.

Each firm outlined a multi-stage search process that emphasized community engagement, diverse candidate recruitment and thorough vetting. Ray and Associates’ Libra Ford described a five-stage process that begins with board and stakeholder interviews and a “31 quality” survey to rank candidate traits; the firm said it would recruit aggressively to yield a large, high-quality candidate pool. Ford said, “We want to make this a tough decision for you. We don't want to make it an easy decision for you. You should have many candidates to choose from that you should love all of them.”

Hazard, Young, Attea (HYA) consultants — including Chris McDuffie, John Bash and Sylvia Ybarra — described four phases: planning, engagement, recruitment and transition. McDuffie told the board that HYA customizes stakeholder engagement and provides a confidential board portal to house applicant materials, calendar items and reports. HYA proposed an engagement timeline starting in late summer and suggested a possible application deadline in early January with finalist selection in January–February; McDuffie said the firm would share a leadership-profile report compiled from stakeholder input with applicants and the board.

McPherson & Jacobson representatives Steve Louder and Mary Alice Hushel emphasized the firm’s national network and active recruitment of both active and passive candidates. Louder noted the firm’s willingness to be flexible with timelines and transition arrangements and said McPherson & Jacobson would remain with the district “until you have a stellar candidate, to offer a position to,” adding a pricing assurance: “it's not gonna happen. I can sit here today and tell you that it will not happen. If it did happen, we guarantee that we will stick with you until you do find that person... and we're not gonna charge any more money except travel costs or printing costs or advertising costs.” Louder referenced a base fee figure during the interview.

Board members pressed firms on ensuring diverse candidate pools, outreach to traditionally underserved families and students, and candidate vetting. Each firm described layered approaches: targeted advertising, outreach to professional affinity groups, multi-language surveys and in-person forums, student-focused engagement and deeper reference and social-media checks to screen candidates’ records.

Directors stressed community input and asked whether stakeholder engagement would be a one-time event or ongoing through the search. Firms said engagement happens in stages: an initial profile-building phase, ongoing stakeholder input during recruitment, and public forums and finalist visits at the selection stage. Ray and Associates noted that stakeholder feedback includes online surveys, focus groups and candidate videos; HYA highlighted its board portal and a comprehensive leadership-profile report; McPherson & Jacobson recommended candidate 30/60/90-day entry plans and optional early transition arrangements for finalists.

No contract award or vote took place on June 17. Decker said staff would notify firms after board deliberation on the morning of June 18.

Less-critical details: firms described guarantees or replacement terms if a placed superintendent leaves within a multi-year window and offered to tailor timelines and outreach channels to the board’s preferences.