Huntsville ISD hires Thompson and Horton LLP to run superintendent search

The Huntsville Independent School District Board of Trustees voted to hire Thompson and Horton LLP to conduct the district’s superintendent search, approving the contract by voice vote during a special called meeting.

David Thompson and Dr. Mike Moses of Thompson and Horton presented a proposed timeline and recruitment plan to trustees, saying the firm would actively recruit and vet candidates and represent the board—not the candidates—throughout the process. Moses told trustees, “If you get this decision wrong about the next superintendent, then it's hard to straighten out a lot of things,” underscoring the importance of the hire.

The presenters said the search timeline is driven by Superintendent Scott Shepherd’s planned departure in June and the district’s goal of having a new superintendent ready by July 1. They pointed to a state-required 21-day waiting period for certain employment steps and said a candidate would need to be identified by about May 4 to meet the proposed schedule. The firm recommended candidates submit credentials by April 1 and suggested two rounds of interviews, with an initial pool of roughly five to seven candidates.

Thompson said the firm would conduct community engagement, asking each trustee to nominate representatives for focus groups (parents, teachers, students, nonparent taxpayers, faith and business leaders). He proposed holding trustee-nominated focus groups on March 16 and 17 and posting the same questions online to gather broader community input. The presenters emphasized confidentiality in candidate outreach, saying that preserving a candidate’s privacy increases the pool of viable applicants.

The trustees were told the firm will assist with background checks, social media reviews and optional site visits. Thompson offered a guarantee tied to longevity: if a hired superintendent left after one year, the firm would conduct a replacement search at no charge (half price if the hire left after two years). Presenters described their expenses as minimal and said the district would generally cover candidate travel costs for in-person interviews.

An unnamed trustee moved to approve Thompson and Horton LLP to conduct the search; the motion was seconded and the board voice-approved the contract. The presenters thanked the board and the meeting moved to closed session.

Next steps: trustees will confirm the search timeline and community-engagement plan with the firm and begin the candidate recruitment and vetting process as described by Thompson and Moses.