Search consultant outlines timeline, confidentiality and interview format for Spring Grove Area SD superintendent search

Dr. Edward Albert, the search consultant for Spring Grove Area SD, told residents at a community meeting that the district is actively recruiting candidates and has set application and screening steps leading to a confidential board review of finalists.

"The deadline is November 20," Albert said while reviewing survey and outreach timelines, and later noted publicly that applications will be accepted through the end of November. He described his outreach (LinkedIn and PSBA postings and direct networking), and said he had received a small number of completed applications so far while continuing to solicit applicants.

Albert outlined the application materials the board will review: a completed application, an essay addressing strengths, a resume and cover letter, and five letters of reference. He described follow-up checks and said criminal-background and certification documents will be requested from candidates who progress to interviews. "No candidates were brought to the board yet," he emphasized.

For an early screening step, Albert said applicants will record answers to five unannounced questions via the Sparkhire platform, with two minutes per question. He told the room he expects the board to review those recordings and the application packets at an executive-session personnel meeting he proposed for Dec. 15. "That'll be an executive session because it's personnel," Albert said.

Community members used the public-comment period to urge that whoever is hired be invested in the community. "I really hope that we can find somebody that is willing to become part of the community," said Sarah Stark, a Jackson Township resident who has been part of the district for decades as a student, employee and parent.

Teachers and other staff raised questions about whether non-board stakeholders could sit on interview panels or participate in public candidate nights. "So my question is with number 6, the interview process," said Melissa Snaringer, a district teacher, asking whether stakeholder representatives would be included beyond the board and whether confidentiality could be protected.

Albert responded that the board makes that decision and that confidentiality is a common limiting factor for personnel interviews. He said his role is to present candidates and to probe questions for the board rather than to select finalists himself. "It's my job to bring every candidate to the board member," he said, adding that he will supply the board with notes and phone follow-ups from references.

A district official noted that the district website will be updated regularly with public information and reported that more than 200 community surveys had been returned online; the official directed residents to check the website for ongoing updates. The board’s reorganization meeting on Dec. 2 was identified as a public opportunity for the board to discuss candidate characteristics.

The board did not take formal action at the meeting. Albert and district staff said the board will consider whether and how stakeholders are included in later interview steps and will balance inclusion against confidentiality requirements; the final decision on participation and the timing of candidate interviews rests with the board.