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Consultants present leadership profile as Rye City Schools begins confidential superintendent search
Summary
Hazard, Young Attea & Associates presented a leadership profile based on interviews and a survey of Rye City School District stakeholders and described next steps in recruiting a new superintendent, including a confidential interview schedule and a target July 1 start date.
Hazard, Young Attea & Associates (HYA) presented the leadership profile for the Rye City School District’s superintendent search at the board’s Jan. 28 meeting, summarizing interviews, focus groups and a community survey and outlining the firm’s active recruitment timeline.
The profile, HYA associates said, combines qualitative input from more than 100 interviews and forums with quantitative results from an online survey of 453 respondents. It lists district strengths (student achievement, engaged parents and stable operations), identifies challenges for an incoming superintendent (maintaining momentum, balancing academic rigor with student wellness, special education demand and facilities work) and enumerates the personal and professional characteristics the district seeks in its next leader.
HYA associate Dr. Susan Guinee said the report will be made public and used to attract and screen candidates: “This report is going to be made public so you can take some time to go through it and read them more carefully,” she said. The consultants emphasized that the document is the story they will present to candidates about the district’s priorities and culture.
HYA described its community engagement: interviews or focus groups with seven members of the board, the superintendent, 20 administrative staff, 31 faculty members, 14 support staff, nine students and 24 community members for a total of 106 engagements, plus two community forums (one in-person and one by Zoom). The online survey—run by HYA’s research affiliate—had 453 total respondents, with nearly 300 parents/guardians and roughly 14% students among the respondents.
The consultancy summarized what stakeholders said the next superintendent should bring: strong instructional leadership; high-quality personnel recruitment and retention; transparent, frequent communication; relationship-building and trust; and a commitment to student social-emotional supports. HYA framed the district’s priorities as a need to “build a roadmap” for the next three to five years that balances curriculum changes, staffing, facilities and financial sustainability.
On process and timing, HYA said it has already begun recruiting actively, typically contacting potential candidates directly rather than waiting for applications. The firm plans an initial round of confidential interviews with the board in late February to March, followed by final interviews in March. HYA indicated it will present a slate of about five to seven candidates, and the board would negotiate terms and complete a third-party background check after selecting a finalist. HYA and the board indicated a targeted start date for the new superintendent of July 1, with an announcement likely in April or May.
Board members thanked the consultants and noted the profile’s long list of desired characteristics. Superintendent Dr. Byrne said the leadership profile will be posted on the district’s superintendent-search webpage and that the district will continue communications as appropriate.
What’s next: HYA will continue candidate outreach and screening; the board will hold confidential interview rounds, and the leadership profile will be published on the district search page for the community to review.
