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Search consultant reports five inquiries, sets Dec. 8 binder delivery and Dec. 15 interview night; teacher urges schedule change
Summary
A search consultant for Spring Grove Area SD told the board he has five candidate inquiries and will deliver candidate binders Dec. 8 ahead of interviews planned for Dec. 15; a teacher at Spring Grove Elementary urged meeting times that allow school staff to participate. The board discussed sharing survey results publicly and signing confidentiality affidavits.
Spring Grove Area School District board members heard an update on the superintendent search and agreed on key dates for candidate review and interviews while a teacher urged schedule changes to increase staff participation.
Dr. Albert, the district's search consultant, told the board he has received five inquiries for the superintendent post and one completed application so far. He said he had delivered two weekly reports to the board and described a process that will produce binders of candidate materials for board members to pick up the week of Dec. 8, after which the board would review materials and hold a long candidate-review session on Dec. 15.
"You have received two weekly reports from me already," Dr. Albert said, and he emphasized transparency in sharing what he can with the public about the search. He described application requirements the board will see in the binders — essays, letters of reference, resumes and cover letters — and said transcripts and criminal-background checks would not be included in the initial binders delivered to the board.
Board members asked whether to lock in a final-night auditorium format for finalists; Dr. Albert cautioned that the newly elected board members who may be seated after the upcoming election should have input and that he preferred not to finalize that detail until new members were in place. He also recommended that the board sign affidavits of confidentiality when picking up candidate booklets to avoid leaks that could deter applicants.
"When you pick up the booklets you're going to be signing a confidentiality document," Dr. Albert said, advising careful handling of candidate information.
The board discussed whether to publicly share the results of a community survey the consultant is using to gather input. Dr. Albert argued for sharing the survey results to promote transparency but said context matters and he would provide raw numbers and category breakdowns (for example, the consultant reported preliminary breakdowns he expected to show roughly 54% parents, 12% students and 3% teachers among respondents).
A public commenter who identified herself at the meeting, Melissa Snaringer, a Paradise Township teacher and the school librarian at Spring Grove Elementary School, urged the board to schedule future community sessions at times that allow teachers to attend, noting conferences and school duties limit availability.
"I just want you to know we do care," Melissa Snaringer said, and she asked the board to consider PLT time or after-school slots for secondary schools so more staff can participate.
Dr. Albert outlined the mechanics of interviews and candidate screening: he will distribute a bank of about 33 questions for board members to mark their top choices; board members will submit top-three candidate lists after reviewing binders, and Dr. Albert will tally those individual preferences to identify finalists. He also said he uses a digital vendor called Spark to gather preliminary digital responses from applicants when appropriate.
The board and consultant agreed to a timeline that includes the survey completion, delivery of binders to Suzanne's office the week of Dec. 8 (at which time board members will sign confidentiality affidavits), and an extensive review or interview session on Dec. 15. The board also discussed holding its reorganization meeting Dec. 1 and a public special session on Dec. 2 to review survey results and set the board's top priorities for the search before receiving binders.
No formal hiring motions or votes were recorded in the transcript. At the end of the meeting the Board President called for a motion to adjourn and asked for a second; a second and any subsequent vote were not recorded in the transcript provided.
The superintendent search will continue under the timeline discussed; Dr. Albert and the board indicated they will provide additional details and the completed survey data to the public once materials are collated and confidentiality steps have been completed.
