South Lane board hires Human Capital to run superintendent search

The South Lane School District board voted unanimously to hire Human Capital to conduct the districts superintendent search after interviewing OSBA and comparing multiple proposals.

Board members heard a presentation from Vince, an OSBA representative, who outlined OSBAs full-service search process and retention record. Vince said OSBAs five-year retention rate is 85% and described a guarantee that if a superintendent leaves within the first year OSBA will repeat the search and waive the base fee. He described a calendar-driven search, public surveys to develop candidate qualities and qualifications, a screening committee made up of board-appointed screeners, virtual first-round interviews and finalist-day activities including community forums, reference checks and optional site visits.

The boards questions focused on practical details: how many applicants to expect, screening workload for volunteers and staff, whether OSBA performs pre-screening, travel and per-trip costs, and whether firms provide translation or focus-group engagement. Vince said first-round interviews are usually virtual and that OSBA does not screen applications on the boards behalf to preserve the boards authority, while the firm will provide screening training and a ranked report for the boards screening committee. He gave an example trip cost of about $322.29 and said OSBA provides six hours of post-search training.

Board members weighed pluses and minuses across the finalists. Supporters of Human Capital pointed to the firms experience in Oregon and multiple repeat clients, and noted a base price in the boards stated range. Other members praised OSBAs advertising strategy and local knowledge but expressed reservations about the extra volunteer hours the board would need to commit if OSBA does not pre-screen applications, and noted OSBA lacks built-in translation services for finalist forums.

A motion to hire Human Capital passed with an affirmative voice vote and was recorded as unanimous. The board instructed staff to notify Human Capital, arrange the first planning meeting (aiming for before Thanksgiving), and send thank-you notices to the firms not selected. The board also flagged next steps that include setting the search calendar, adopting the qualities and qualifications for the position, and forming the screening committee.

Costs and clarifications discussed at the meeting included an expected applicant pool of about 10—15 candidates for a district this size, a quoted Human Capital base fee of $23,700 (as presented in the packet), and OSBAs example trip cost of $322.29. Board members said the district has roughly $13,000—$15,000 currently budgeted for the search and that additional travel or optional services could increase that total. Several members emphasized that the final selection, contract negotiation and ratification remain board responsibilities; some preparation support from firms was described as available but not representation in formal negotiations.

The board closed by discussing availability for an initial meeting with Human Capital, agreeing to coordinate dates with the chosen firm and to reconvene quickly so the search calendar can begin.