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Shenendehowa board hires Capital Region BOCES to run superintendent search, opts for confidential process
Summary
The Shenendehowa Board of Education voted to engage Capital Region BOCES to conduct its superintendent search and chose a confidential search process after a presentation on options. The board also announced a member's immediate resignation and said it will follow district policy on filling the vacancy.
The Shenendehowa Central School District Board of Education voted to hire Capital Region BOCES as the district's superintendent search consultant and chose a confidential search process, board leaders said during a study session Tuesday.
Dr. Elizabeth Wood, deputy superintendent at Capital Region BOCES, told the board the organization typically runs two search models: a traditional search, which includes stakeholder interviews and greater public participation late in the process, and a confidential search that keeps candidate identities private until finalists are selected. "There really are two types of searches...traditional and the other would be a confidential search," Dr. Wood said.
The board president said the search would start immediately and described the hiring of a superintendent as one of the board's most consequential responsibilities. Board members asked about community input; Dr. Wood said the consultant would run an online survey, host community forums (she said the plan was for about 15 forums), collect stakeholder feedback for the board unedited, and provide reference checks. She estimated a typical aggressive timeline would run about eight months, with surveys beginning late October and a potential appointment in April, depending on candidate availability and contract negotiations.
At the meeting the board amended the agenda to add the BOCES contract and later voted on the resolution appointing Capital Region BOCES. The motion to appoint Lauren J. Gamel, Capital Region BOCES district superintendent, as the search consultant was moved by Board member Naomi and seconded by Board member Andrea; the motion passed after a voice vote.
Board leadership also announced that a member, Mrs. Miller, submitted a letter of resignation effective immediately. The board president said district leadership and legal counsel would review district policy and next steps to fill the vacancy and promised further information.
The board described its choice to pursue a confidential search as weighing the trade-offs between broad stakeholder visibility and the desire to protect potential candidates' current positions and reputations. Dr. Wood warned that traditional searches sometimes lose top candidates when confidentiality cannot be guaranteed; she said stakeholder rounds can add two to three weeks to the schedule but can produce valuable input.
The board did not provide a roll-call vote tally for the consultant appointment; meeting minutes should contain the formal vote record when they are posted.
The board plans subsequent public steps in the search process, including surveys and forums whose dates will be posted on district channels once finalized.
