The Barre Unified Union School District #97 board voted to create a superintendent search committee and heard a timeline and process from a consultant working on the search.

Consultant Dave (last name not specified in the transcript) briefed the board on a roughly 120-day timetable to hire a superintendent, recommending outreach beginning in mid-January, a series of community focus groups and an online survey to build a candidate profile, a screened shortlist produced by a screening committee, and final interviews by the full board. Dave said the usual cycle includes a liaison from the board who serves as the consultant’s primary contact and helps shepherd application materials, postings and logistics.

The board approved a motion to appoint a search committee composed of board members Alice Ferrell, Catherine Whelan, Garrett Grant and Giuliano Czaknoy to serve as the screening group. The motion was made by Giuliano and seconded by Catherine; the motion carried by voice vote.

Dave described recommended next steps: select a single liaison (from the search committee members) to be the consultant’s primary contact, decide whether to run four focus groups (the consultant’s recommended number) with a mix of in-person and remote sessions, approve an application letter and candidate profile drawn from focus-group feedback, and recruit a screening committee of community and staff representatives (the consultant suggested a screening group of roughly nine to 12 people to get balanced representation). He also noted the board must keep screening activity confidential until finalists are advanced, and he offered to return to the board on March 20 to train and work with the screening committee.

Board members agreed the four-person committee could select a liaison and asked the new committee to pick a liaison and get back to Dave quickly so the consultant could meet the outreach timeline. The board set a goal — in the consultant’s timeline — to make a hire by early May (May 5 target) and requested the superintendent-search materials be posted on the district website so the public can follow the timeline and participate in surveys and focus groups.

A final motion to adjourn passed later in the meeting.