Alachua School Board weighs superintendent search options; interim superintendent offers one-year extension

Board Chair Rockwell and members of the Alachua County School Board spent the bulk of their Jan. 14 meeting discussing how to conduct a search for a new superintendent, weighing three procurement options, projected timelines and costs, and whether Interim Superintendent Dr. Patton should remain in the role while a full search is completed.

The board reviewed three options presented by Assistant Superintendent Deborah Terry: hiring a single search firm under a direct contract; soliciting a request for information (RFI) from multiple firms and having finalists present to the board; or issuing a request for proposals (RFP) with a committee review and public scoring. Terry said all three approaches would likely place the active search period between March and June, with estimated search-firm costs in the $48,000–$52,000 range and additional travel and accommodation costs for finalists billed to the district.

Why it matters: Board members said the district’s short timetable and…