Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Superintendent Search Timeline topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Orange Unified board hires Leadership Associates, sets March 10 application deadline and April interview window
Summary
The Orange Unified School District Board met with search consultants Leadership Associates to launch a superintendent search, approve outreach and survey plans and set a timeline with an application deadline of March 10, candidate review on March 22, and interviews in early April (interviews discussed for April 11).
The Orange Unified School District Board of Education met in a work‑study session to begin its superintendent search with Leadership Associates and to set a recruitment timeline that consultants said would aim for an application close of March 10 and interviews in early April.
Dennis Smith, lead search partner at Leadership Associates, told the board the process would center on board and stakeholder input and active recruitment. "This is your search. It starts with you, it ends with you," Smith said, describing a process of stakeholder meetings, an online survey and targeted candidate outreach.
Consultants asked the board to confirm publication dates and outreach channels; they proposed advertising in EdCal and the firm’s channels, and estimated they would blast the vacancy to roughly 1,500 contacts. Peggy Lynch said the team expects strong interest and recommended publication slots in late February and early March to support a March 10 application close.
On the post‑application schedule, the consultants described the vetting work that follows the close: background checks, reference calls and portal access for trustees to review applications. They proposed a special board meeting on March 22 for candidate review and recommended a full‑day interview session in April, noting a likely morning orientation and 7:30 a.m. start on interview day.
Trustees discussed logistics and dates and weighed weekday versus weekend interview options to maximize participation. Dennis Smith and David Verdugo said the consultants would coordinate scheduling and portal access and would provide an executive summary of survey and stakeholder input for the board to use when forming interview questions.
The meeting included a brief procedural action at the outset: the board adopted the meeting agenda by voice vote (motion carried 7‑0).
Next steps: consultants will finalize publication dates, deploy the online survey in the languages the board approves, begin stakeholder sessions, and return with candidate materials before the March 22 candidate‑review meeting. The board will approve any superintendent contract at a regularly scheduled board meeting once a finalist is selected.
