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N.C. School Boards Association outlines superintendent search service for Craven County Board
Summary
An NC School Boards Association attorney described NCSBA’s superintendent search process, timeline options, community input survey and confidentiality safeguards. The board said it would discuss whether to hire a facilitator and asked for a board‑generated leadership profile to inform the vacancy announcement.
Sam Thorpe, an attorney with the North Carolina School Boards Association (NCSBA), briefed trustees on NCSBA’s superintendent search services and process. Thorpe described a six‑step approach that includes (1) determining whether the board wants a public search, (2) drafting a timeline and vacancy announcement, (3) optionally soliciting community and staff input via anonymous online surveys to build a leadership profile, (4) collecting and securely hosting applications with confidential access for trustees, (5) facilitating first‑ and second‑round interviews and due diligence on finalists (including compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act for investigative checks), and (6) supporting contract negotiation and public announcement.
Thorpe said NCSBA does not screen applicants for the board or tell trustees whom to interview or hire; the association’s role is facilitation, logistics, secure application handling (using an online platform), and legal compliance. He offered examples of recent searches the association has run across the state and said NCSBA could begin immediately if the board chose to hire the association.
Board members said they wanted to develop an upfront leadership profile (a board‑created list of attributes and experience the board desires in a superintendent) and asked NCSBA to include that profile in the vacancy announcement. Trustees also asked NCSBA to run the community/staff survey option and discussed paid advertising to widen the candidate pool. The board did not vote to hire NCSBA at the meeting; members said they would meet to decide next steps and thanked Thorpe for the presentation.
