McMinnville School Board selects two firms as finalists in superintendent search

McMinnville School Board of Directors voted May 2 to advance two search firms as finalists to support the district—s superintendent recruitment, approving McPherson & Jacobson LLC and Northwest Leadership Associates by a 7-0 roll-call vote.

Board members spent the meeting discussing whether to run an interim-only search that could use internal candidates, or an expedited interim followed by a full external search next year. The board also reviewed a scoring rubric and proposals from six vendors before naming the two finalists and scheduling finalist presentations next week.

Why it matters: The board must place an interim superintendent by July 1 and subsequently run a permanent search next year. Choosing a search firm determines timing, candidate outreach (internal and external), and the level of public engagement the district will use in both searches.

Discussion and context Board members debated two main approaches: (1) recruit an interim superintendent from inside the district, or (2) hire a firm to run an expedited interim placement and then a separate full search for a permanent superintendent next year. Several directors voiced strong support for considering internal candidates for the interim so the…