Somerville board leans toward committee-led process to select strategic planning consultant

At the Somerville Public School District Board of Education meeting, members debated how best to select a consultant to lead a new district strategic plan. Chair (speaker 1) presented two options: have the full board conduct open interviews of finalists or assign screening and initial interviews to a board committee (the communications committee or an ad hoc committee) and have the committee recommend a finalist to the full board.

Multiple members said the committee approach worked well in recent legal counsel selection and would allow more focused interviews. “The committee process worked very well looking for the special ed legal representation,” one committee member said, adding that a smaller panel allowed better back-and-forth with candidates. Superintendent Jared (speaker 3) suggested including a rigorous rubric in the RFP and confirmed the district posts RFPs publicly so the process remains transparent.

Board discussion touched on logistics: whether committee interviews would be open to the public, how the committee would report its evaluation to the full board, and whether the facilitator’s role would be limited to facilitation rather than performing the strategic work itself. The chair proposed the communications committee could screen applicants, interview a short list, and present a recommendation and detailed accounting of the process to the full board for a public vote.

There was no formal motion to bind the board to a single process; members expressed broad comfort with a committee-led approach and asked administrators to develop an RFP timeline and budget estimates for the facilitator. The board directed staff to work with the chosen committee to outline next steps and timing so a consultant can be engaged in a timely manner.