Board committee signs off on consultant’s stakeholder schedule for superintendent search

The Cumberland County Board of Education committee discussed and indicated support for a stakeholder engagement schedule proposed by McPherson & Jacobson as part of the district’s superintendent search process.

Consultant materials and committee input Committee members reviewed the consultant’s draft template of stakeholder groups, session types and a proposed schedule of forums and meetings. Cabinet staff and the consultant proposed sessions for PTA leaders, special education parent advisory groups, school-level staff, principals, county stakeholders and other community groups. Committee members requested that the proposal explicitly include the Special Education Parent Advisory Council and asked for clarity on whether the committee debrief scheduled by the consultant would include full-board participation; staff said that formal board debriefing could instead occur at a later full‑board meeting or via a follow-up Zoom session to ensure broad participation.

Why it matters The search firm recommended multiple input channels — in-person forums, stakeholder-specific sessions and surveys — because community feedback will shape candidate profiles and priorities for the superintendent role. Committee members emphasized the importance of broad outreach and urged the consultant to coordinate sessions at geographically accessible school sites and to provide options for those unable to attend evening sessions.

Next steps Staff said they would notify the consultant that the committee supports the schedule and stakeholder list with minor adjustments and will finalize logistics. The consultant will gather input during the engagement phase and report findings back to the committee and the full board as the search proceeds.