Liberty Elementary District hires McPherson & Jacobson to run permanent superintendent search

The Liberty Elementary District governing board on Dec. 11 voted 3–0 to retain McPherson & Jacobson to conduct a permanent superintendent search, following a work‑study in which the firm outlined its timeline, vetting process and stakeholder outreach plan.

Consultants Dr. Christy Wilson and Dr. Steve Jewell told the board they would advertise the opening in mid‑December and actively recruit from their database of registered education leaders. "This is prime time right now for the superintendent search," Dr. Wilson said, adding the firm reaches roughly 5,000 registered education leaders and will both advertise and proactively contact candidates.

The board agreed to a multi‑step schedule the consultants proposed: stakeholder engagement and an online survey run by partner K12 Insight in January, a finalists presentation in mid‑February, and public round‑robin interviews and community feedback sessions later in the month. The board also scheduled a special meeting for Feb. 17 to meet with McPherson & Jacobson about candidates and listed Feb. 23 as a likely interview day.

Board members worked with consultants to draft the job profile during the session. Members emphasized several priority qualifications the posting should reflect, including "strong and bold leadership," clear and respectful communication, an ability to build relationships and listen to the community, and knowledge of school finance. "We need someone who can come in and really take it by the reins and lead," said Sarah Schmidt, a board member.

Consultants described how they will present candidates: application packets, a short written response (3–500 words) on fit, and brief video interviews intended to give the board a sense of how a candidate presents. They said they would ask board members to submit interview questions by Feb. 1; the firm will synthesize and refine questions for the finalists.

On contracting and compensation, consultants recommended offering at least a two‑year contract to attract viable candidates; board discussion referenced prior interim compensation of about $180,000 and a permanent base near $188,000 as points of comparison. Consultants said they would research regional pay and requested a copy of the district’s recent superintendent contract to help shape a salary range.

At the special meeting that followed the work‑study, the board approved the special‑meeting agenda and the consent agenda and then voted to authorize McPherson & Jacobson to proceed with the search as discussed. The board’s votes on those motions were recorded as unanimous (Kelly Zimmerman: aye; Brian Ciarancione: aye; Sarah Schmidt: aye).

Next steps: consultants will draft the position profile and posting language, the board will finalize interview questions and committee chairs for stakeholder groups, and McPherson & Jacobson will begin advertising and candidate outreach under the timeline discussed. The Feb. 17 special meeting and the public finalist interviews later in February are the next procedural milestones.