Mount Vernon board approves superintendent desired characteristics after consultant report

The Mount Vernon City School District Board of Education on Feb. 27 approved a set of desired characteristics for the district’s superintendent search after consultants from HYA presented a leadership-profile report drawing on 962 respondents and multiple focus groups.

Ed McCormick, a consultant with HYA, told trustees, "we have 962 total participants," and said the firm had conducted 18 focus groups, 10 individual interviews and a community forum to shape the leadership profile and the desired-characteristics document the board voted to accept.

The desired characteristics will be posted on the district’s and HYA’s websites so prospective candidates can evaluate themselves against the board’s priorities, McCormick said. The approval formally begins the search; HYA reported 25 applications already in the system and outlined a timeline that includes initial interviews March 29, finalist interviews April 5 and a target superintendent start date around July 1.

Why this matters: the approved characteristics will shape recruitment and interviewing, and trustees said they expect the criteria to guide both screening and finalist selection. HYA emphasized that the profile consolidates recurring themes from parents, staff, students and community members and will be the uniform lens used to evaluate every candidate.

Consultants summarized the community’s views on the district’s strengths and challenges. Dr. Karen Geland of HYA said the team asked every group the same three questions, including “What do stakeholders value regarding our schools?” and reported common strengths: Mount Vernon’s location and transit accessibility, a sense of community and family, staff dedication and curricular variety in high schools. Concerns that surfaced included financial pressure tied to declining enrollment, student achievement, low morale, communication gaps and impending collective-bargaining negotiations.

Consultants and trustees framed the desired superintendent profile around two core capabilities: relationship-building and operational management. The top leadership attributes ranked by survey respondents included the ability to "effectively plan and manage the long term financial health of the district," to "foster a positive professional climate of mutual trust and respect," to recruit and retain effective personnel, and to provide "transparent communications" and a clear vision, the HYA report shows.

During the meeting trustees asked clarifying questions about factual items in the report; McCormick and Geland said the consultants did not judge respondents’ statements but reported themes that recurred across constituencies. Trustees also confirmed that the desired-characteristics page would go live the next day and be used in advertising and vetting candidates.

Formal action: a trustee moved to approve the desired characteristics and the board voted in favor by voice vote; the transcript records "All in favor? Aye." and "Motion carries." The transcript does not record a named mover, seconder or a numerical roll-call tally. The board directed staff and HYA to proceed with posting the criteria, continuing candidate screening, conducting background checks in early April and preparing materials for the March 29 interviews.

The meeting ended after the vote. HYA told trustees it expects to return a recommended slate of candidates and supporting materials to the board in March so trustees can review applicants in the board portal ahead of interviews.

Notes on sourcing: quotations and participant counts above are taken from the HYA consultants' presentation to the Mount Vernon City School District Board on Feb. 27, 2025, as captured in the meeting transcript.