Consultant: 300 responses, 10 applicants inform Granville's superintendent search

Tony Mueller, senior executive officer at BOCES, told the Granville Central School District board that a community survey for the superintendent search drew 300 responses and will help the board weigh candidate "fit." Mueller said the survey ran from Jan. 23 to Feb. 6 and included parents, staff, alumni and 11 students.

Mueller summarized the survey's quantitative findings, saying the qualities most often rated highest were recognition and affirmation of staff, responsiveness, strong communication, support for students with learning differences and creativity. He also said doctorate-level credentials and prior superintendent experience ranked lower on average among respondents.

"Community survey gives an opportunity for anyone in the community to give some input into the next superintendent of schools," Mueller said while walking the board through category and subgroup breakdowns.

Mueller described differences among respondent subgroups: residents with children, teaching and support staff and administrators shifted which attributes appeared in their top five, and teaching staff placed classroom experience and professional development relatively higher than some other groups. In open-ended responses, recurring themes included teacher recruitment and retention, student achievement and needs, student behavior, special-education staffing shortages, rising building repair costs and choices about resource allocation (for example, electric buses versus other capital priorities).

In response to board questions about applicants, Mueller said the district has 10 applicants for the superintendent posting and that the board would use the survey results alongside application materials to screen for candidates who are the right fit for Granville.

The presentation concluded with Mueller inviting questions; no formal action on the search was taken at the meeting.