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Upper Dublin superintendent seeks short-term communications consultant, board to consider authorization up to $5,000 per month
Summary
Superintendent proposed a temporary communications consultant while the district assesses a permanent communications director role; administration requested authority to enter an agreement up to $5,000 per month, with final contract review and ratification at the April legislative meeting.
Superintendent Laurie told the finance committee the district is exploring creating a permanent communications position but recommended hiring a consultant for the short term to conduct an audit and support social media, newsletters and other communications tasks.
She asked the committee to authorize administration to engage a consultant once a finalist is identified, with a placeholder dollar limit and legal and CFO review before execution. "Right now, we're thinking $5,000 per month," she said. The superintendent said the intent is to start interviews and narrow candidates so a finalist could be engaged early in April and the final agreement brought back to the board for ratification.
Board members discussed oversight, the possible term of a short agreement through June, whether to leave a fixed dollar cap in the motion or authorize time-and-materials under a not‑to‑exceed amount, and the importance of defining a narrow scope (audit and immediate priorities) to avoid paying for a broad, indefinite consulting engagement. Several members said they were supportive of moving the authorization to the legislative meeting with a dollar cap and time/materials structure as protections.
Administration said it will return to the board in April with the final agreement and recommendations about whether a full‑time director position should be created.
