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School board hears proposal from South Carolina School Boards Association for superintendent search
Summary
Scott Price of the South Carolina School Boards Association outlined a 4–6 month superintendent search process, confidentiality rules for finalist stages, community input options, finalist background checks, and a listed base fee of $18,000 plus unspecified administrative charges.
Scott Price, executive director of the South Carolina School Boards Association, presented a proposal to the Chesterfield County School Board on the association’s typical superintendent search process and timeline.
Price told the board the search is “your search,” and said the association would tailor outreach and screening to the board’s priorities. He described a typical 4–6 month process that includes community surveys and focus groups, statewide and national advertising, preliminary screening of applications, semifinalist interviews and public finalist stages.
The proposal and Price’s presentation emphasized confidentiality until finalists are named, then a public review period. Price described a three-night semifinal interview schedule (roughly three candidates per night), followed by additional finalist activities the board may choose to hold, such as a “day in the district” for each finalist — a schedule of district tours, staff and school visits, and an evening community reception.
Price said the association conducts initial reference checks and lighter background checks during early screening, then performs “deep dive” checks at the finalist stage, including criminal and civil court checks, financial-background checks and credential verification. He said the association provides draft interview questions, sample contracts and comparative salary information for similar districts.
On cost, Price said the proposal lists a base fee of $18,000 and “and then we add an additional anywhere from 5 to 7 for just administrative expenses.” The proposal did not specify whether the “5 to 7” refers to percent or to a dollar amount.
Board members asked questions during and after the presentation. One board member asked whether applicants typically come from in state or out of state; Price estimated that if a search attracted about 20 applicants “probably about half of them would be from out of state,” and he estimated that 75–80% of candidates remain through at least their first contract term. Another board member asked the association to describe the “normal process”; Price reiterated the sequence of screening, semifinals and finalist steps and stressed the board makes final hiring decisions.
The association representative offered to stay while the board considered whether to engage the firm. After a closed-session discussion, the board returned to open session and indicated it would consider the search proposal and take a vote later in the meeting.
Why it matters: selection of a superintendent is a central board responsibility; the process being proposed would add external screening capacity and community-input options while leaving final hiring authority with the board.
