Wayzata board hears three superintendent-search pitches emphasizing transparency, community input and differing fees

The Wayzata Public School District Board of Education on Nov. 3 heard 50-minute presentations from three superintendent search firms as it moves to replace longtime Superintendent Chase Anderson.

The presentations came from the Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA), Hazard Young, Atia and Associates (HYA), and Ray & Associates. Each firm described its recruiting network, how it would gather stakeholder input and how quickly it could deliver finalists for the board's review. No vote was taken; the board will decide whether to hire a firm and later will select the superintendent.

MSBA: statewide reach and transparency

Barb Dorn, MSBA's director of leadership development and executive search, told the board MSBA runs superintendent searches full time for the association and emphasizes a continuous-improvement model. "Transparency is the hallmark of every single search that we do," Dorn said, promising recorded Q&A sessions, multilingual surveys and broad access to application materials so board members see all applicants rather than only a curated slate.

Dorn stressed Minnesota-specific constraints and processes: MSBA will check that out-of-state applicants have contacted BOSA (the state licensing authority) because "Minnesota does not have reciprocity for out-of-state licenses," and she reminded the board that a 2004 state law limits superintendent contracts to three years. MSBA also described its vetting steps—reference checks, pre-interviews and social-media reviews—and said it typically narrows candidates toward a recommended slate but that the board always retains final hiring authority.

HYA: engagement, transition supports and fee estimate

Deborah Taylor of HYA emphasized customizing outreach to fit the district's strategic plan and said HYA uses both personal recruitment and posted advertising. HYA presented a $35,000 base consulting fee in its proposal, with optional add-ons (additional on-site days, extended vetting/due-diligence services costing roughly $1,100—1,900 per candidate) and a travel-reimbursement cap HYA described as roughly $3,000—5,000.

Taylor highlighted HYA's transition supports, including a six-month "new leaders academy"—a structured program HYA offers to help newly hired superintendents produce a 100-day plan and performance indicators. "We would work side by side with you to customize the search for you," she said, stressing a human-centered approach and follow-up coaching after placement.

Ray & Associates: national footprint, local ties and recruiting tools

Dan Bittman of Ray & Associates described his firm's long history (founded in 1975) and said the firm combines a national recruiting footprint with local Minnesota connections. Ray highlighted video interviews, a large candidate database and active outreach to potential finalists; Bittman offered to serve as lead on the Wayzata search if selected. He said Ray tracks retention outcomes for placed superintendents: "Ours is about 6.4 years," he said, citing that as higher than the national average.

Board questions and recurring themes

Board members repeatedly pressed presenters on community engagement, the risk of dual representation (a firm recruiting for multiple nearby districts), and timing. MSBA advised that searches typically take about three to four months and recommended aiming to complete a search by March to avoid late-spring hiring that compresses transition time. Firms agreed that leadership profiles developed with the board and stakeholder surveys are central to aligning candidate pools with local priorities.

On conflicts where the same candidate might be in multiple pools, MSBA said it evaluates candidates against each district's leadership profile and stakeholder report and, when necessary, confirms whether finalists have already been announced elsewhere. HYA and Ray both described strong national recruiting networks, personal outreach to potential candidates, and systems to gather community feedback (QR-code surveys, finalists' nights, stakeholder panels), and each offered post-hire supports such as coaching and transition workshops.

Next steps

The board paused between firm presentations and planned to reconvene for another work session later that evening. Staff stated that the board will be the final decision maker on any firm selection and, ultimately, on any superintendent hire.

(Reporting note: quotes and attributions in this story are taken from the Nov. 3 Wayzata Public School District work session transcript.)