The Moore County Board of Education voted to hire BWP Associates to conduct a nationwide superintendent search and approved a revised confidentiality agreement to govern candidate information. The board approved the consulting agreement by voice vote, 5‑2, after members debated the timing of the search and whether the district's interim superintendent should be given more time to serve and to apply.

BWP's consultants said the firm will coordinate stakeholder interviews, design a leadership profile, advertise the vacancy, vet applicants, perform reference and background checks and provide a slate of candidates. ‘‘We develop a personalized search for you to suit your needs,’’ consultant Percy Mack told the board during the presentation, summarizing the firm’s outreach and selection steps.

Board Attorney Richard Schwartz walked the board through the consulting contract, which includes a $22,200 fee paid in three installments (signing, presentation of finalists, appointment) plus expenses for candidate travel. Schwartz said the contract gives the board final appointment authority and includes a two‑year guarantee that, if a new superintendent leaves within 24 months, BWP will perform a replacement search with no additional fee other than expenses.

After approving the consulting contract, board members debated a confidentiality and nondisclosure agreement intended to reassure candidates that application materials would remain private. Some members objected to requiring individual signatures from each board member. Richard Schwartz explained the document clarifies what information is confidential and how it will be handled, including that confidential materials must be used only for the search process and returned on request.

‘‘What we have here is an agreement that is with three parties — the Board of Education, the individually named members of the Board of Education, and BWP Associates,’’ Schwartz said. Following debate, the board adopted a substitute version removing lines for individual member signatures and treating the commitment as a board‑level assurance; that motion carried 6‑1.

The board directed staff to work with the consultant and the chair on public materials for community engagement and to post a search page with survey and timeline information. The consultants said they recommend an April application deadline and a July 1 start date for the new superintendent under a typical schedule, but the timeline will be refined with the board and staff.