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Horry County board approves BWP to lead superintendent search after two firms’ presentations
Summary
After presentations and extensive board questioning, Horry County Board of Education voted unanimously to hire BWP to conduct a national superintendent search, citing community engagement, candidate vetting and confidentiality protocols.
The Horry County Board of Education voted unanimously to hire BWP and Associates as the district’s national superintendent-search firm after receiving presentations from two finalist firms and questioning consultants on timeline and vetting procedures.
BWP’s remote lead, Dr. Kevin Kastner, and on-site presenter Dr. Percy Mack outlined a four-step process—specification, assessment, selection and transition—emphasizing community engagement, multilingual surveys and rigorous background checks. Dr. Mack said the firm would “customize this through your direction” and conduct outreach to teachers, parents and faith-based groups to build a leadership profile the board approves.
The board’s questions focused on timing during the summer, recruiting while schools are closed, and safeguards against survey oversaturation. BWP said it typically posts openings for 45–60 days and can shorten or lengthen the timeline to meet the board’s preference; Dr. Kastner and Dr. Mack also described checks of media coverage and third‑party background investigations to reduce surprises.
HYA (Hazard, Young, Attia & Associates) also presented a four-phase engage‑recruit‑select‑transition model and highlighted its national reach and guarantees, including slate replacement if a selected superintendent departs within specified terms. HYA senior associate Dr. Monica Brown said the firm “has a commitment to equity” and outlined protocols — including Delphi-style ranking and rubrics — to reduce unconscious bias in board selection.
After a closed-session discussion of contractual matters, a board member moved to approve BWP; the motion passed unanimously. The board asked BWP to begin work promptly and to coordinate a planning meeting to set a timeline, community-engagement schedule and the number of candidates the board wishes to review.
The board’s final public action on the item was a recorded voice vote approving BWP as the district’s search firm; no other formal votes were taken in the executive session, as board members reported afterward.
What happens next: BWP and the board will schedule a planning meeting to frame the leadership profile, agree on outreach and recruitment timelines, and determine the slate size to present to the board for interviews and selection.
