Kuna trustees approve superintendent recruitment materials, set Feb. 5 work session to review applicants

KUNA — The Kuna Joint District Board of Trustees on Nov. 8 approved recruitment materials and a schedule for the search for a new superintendent, voting unanimously to finalize a brochure, confirm the application window and set a special work session for Feb. 5 to review candidates.

Katie, an ISBA search consultant who led the meeting’s recruitment discussion, told trustees the brochure will be integral to the online application and outreach: "So the brochure will be included on the application itself," she said, and that she would also include it in email communications to a national superintendent list of about 3,500 recipients.

The board approved the brochure and confirmed the application will open Nov. 17 and close at midnight Jan. 30; the consultant said trustees would receive access to the application portal the morning after the portal closes. "At 8 a.m. the following day after it closes, you'll receive an email notifying you that you now have access," Katie said.

Trustees voted to hold a special work session at 6 p.m. Feb. 5 at the district office to review applications and narrow the candidate pool. Katie recommended using executive session for applicant review, with a brief open-session refresher on hiring best practices and open-meeting requirements before the closed review. She described the typical reviewer workflow: initial portal access the morning after the deadline, ISBA-prepared applicant overviews, then executive-session review of candidate records.

Board members discussed how many finalists to bring in for in-person visits and community forums; the consultant recommended limiting finalists to three or four and, if necessary, using Zoom for earlier semifinal interviews to reduce travel. Trustees also discussed how to structure finalist days and community forums so staff, teachers and community members can meet candidates.

The board approved the set of application essay prompts to be used to screen candidates, emphasizing questions about community relations, human-resources experience and handling bonds and levies. Katie noted essays remain useful despite increasing AI use: "It gives you kind of a good introduction to who you may be," she said, while acknowledging essay responses can require additional verification.

Trustees debated whether to include a salary range in the brochure and application. Several members said they had previously researched local superintendent salaries but did not read a precise number into the record at the meeting; the board voted to add a salary range to the application materials and directed staff to place it on the brochure under the photos before posting.

Actions taken during the meeting were procedural and preparatory: the board approved the recruitment brochure, adopted the application timeline, scheduled the Feb. 5 work session to review applications, approved essay questions and the application form, and voted to add a salary range to the application materials. No hiring decisions were made during the meeting; Katie said that applicant review and candidate discussions would occur primarily in executive session after the board receives the application materials.

The board’s next steps are to post the brochure and application on Nov. 17, allow submissions through Jan. 30, receive portal access on Feb. 1, and hold the Feb. 5 work session to begin applicant review.