GSBA outlines superintendent search service, recommends six-week posting and community survey

The Clarke County School District board heard a presentation from the Georgia School Boards Association on options for assisting with the district’s next superintendent search.

Samuel King, director of superintendent search services and board development at GSBA, and Julia Bernat, GSBA board development specialist, told the board GSBA uses national networks and standards-aligned tools to build candidate pools and candidate profiles. "We have at our disposal ... national organizations," Bernat said, adding that the process sends a virtual brochure and application aligned to national standards.

The presenters said GSBA’s process is aligned to the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL) and to state board rules that assign the board the responsibility to employ a superintendent. King told the board that GSBA’s work begins with the board developing a research‑based profile of desired leadership indicators and that GSBA will advertise the vacancy nationally and at the state level and will present every candidate who applies, categorized by fit.

Bernat described GSBA’s suggested timeline and procedures: she recommended a six‑week posting period (while noting boards sometimes elect shorter postings), two rounds of interviews, legal compliance with Georgia open‑meetings requirements and the use of executive session for reviewing named candidate materials. "We recommend that you post for a 6 weeks period," Bernat said. King and Bernat emphasized a 14‑day waiting period that, by law, begins after finalists are publicly announced.

Board members asked about public input and cost. King said GSBA will provide an optional anonymous virtual community survey once the position is posted and that the survey results can be used to inform finalist interviews. "It gives anonymous feedback based on those same key indicators," King said of the community survey.

Bernat gave the cost: "The amount is 15,000 for your district," she told the board when asked about GSBA’s fee; she added that the fee is fixed regardless of timeline and that additional costs would be limited to reimbursing candidate travel or in‑person focus groups if the board requested them.

The presenters repeatedly stressed that the board controls the search parameters and that GSBA provides the framework, recruitment, vetting and transition support. They also said GSBA does reference and licensure checks, including reviewing out‑of‑state applicants for state licensure reciprocity. "We don't pick the candidates, you pick the candidates," Bernat said.

The board did not take a vote during the presentation; members said they would follow up with GSBA after discussing internal preferences and timelines.

For boards and districts considering outside search support, GSBA’s presenters recommended allowing sufficient time for advertising and vetting, aligning candidate questions and materials to PSEL standards, and following Georgia’s open‑meetings and personnel rules during finalist review and hiring.