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Norfolk Public Schools sets superintendent search timeline, asks search firm to start advertising
Summary
The board met with search consultants and set an application deadline of Jan. 4, 2025, with finalist selection the week of Jan. 12; members requested candidate materials, agreed on leadership-profile priorities and discussed tightening background-check and onboarding steps before hiring.
The Norfolk Public Schools Board of Education on Oct. 13 agreed on a hiring timeline and asked its outside search firm to begin advertising for a permanent superintendent.
A search consultant told the board the district will set an application deadline of Sunday, Jan. 4, and “the final meeting with the board [to select finalists]” is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 12. The board and consultants discussed interview logistics — likely interview days around Jan. 20 with a follow-up day for deliberation — and asked that candidate materials and a proposed interview schedule be circulated in advance.
Board members reviewed a leadership profile that emphasizes student-achievement leadership, experience with PLCs and community engagement. “We’d like questions to line up with the goals you have for each candidate,” Dr. John Neal, the consultant supporting the process, said during the meeting.
Several board members raised concerns about background checks after recent, widely reported hiring controversies elsewhere. The search consultant described the firm’s standard checks (criminal history, credit and child/adult-abuse searches through a one-source vendor) and clarified that I-9 employment verification and final onboarding checks are performed by the hiring district. The consultant added the firm will do additional internal transcript checks and provide transcripts and background results for any finalists so the board can review academic credentials before making a final decision.
The board directed the firm to post ads on typical education platforms and the district’s channels, coordinate with the district PR contact (Penny Settles) and to circulate draft interview questions and the advertising copy by the next work session. The board also agreed to run a short, two-week community engagement survey (staff, parents, community split) to gather input on desired superintendent attributes.
The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Nov. 10, when members expect to receive advertising drafts and further materials from the search firm.
