Board to hire search firm for a 1‑year/interim superintendent posting with option to convert to permanent
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Summary
Faced with a compressed timeline before July 1 and differing views about candidate pools, the board agreed March 23 to engage an executive search firm to advertise a one‑year/interim posting (internal and external) that may be converted to a multi‑year appointment if both the candidate and board agree; co‑chairs will vet firms and gather leadership‑profile input from directors immediately.
With Superintendent Corey McIntyre announcing he will not seek a contract renewal beyond June 2026, the Anoka‑Hennepin School Board moved on March 23 to engage an executive search firm and post a one‑year/interim superintendent opening with an explicit option to convert the hire to a standard multi‑year contract if the board elects to do so.
Board members and staff framed the decision around the calendar: a typical, thorough superintendent search takes five to six months and includes extensive stakeholder engagement; the board estimated roughly 69 workdays remain to have someone in place by July 1. That compressed timeline raised concerns that sitting superintendents under contract elsewhere would be less likely to apply and that confidentiality and recruiting breadth could be constrained.
Dr. Jennifer Cherry, the district’s chief human resources officer, explained the tradeoffs and the types of search support firms provide, including confidential applicant intake, active recruitment and leadership‑profile facilitation. Legal counsel and staff noted that while initial application review can be handled confidentially by a search firm, statute makes finalists public.
After substantial discussion, a majority of directors favored a hybrid approach: use a search firm now to recruit broadly but market the vacancy as a 1‑year/interim posting (which attracts candidates willing to start immediately) while retaining the option to extend an interim to a three‑year contract if the board agrees later. Co‑chairs will solicit and review proposals from firms and bring a recommended contract to the board for approval as soon as possible so the district can open a roughly 30‑day application window.
The board asked members to supply leadership‑profile input immediately to guide the firm’s outreach and screening; staff said final interviews and potential special meetings will be necessary through May. The special meeting adjourned after co‑chairs agreed to begin firm outreach and to return to the board with recommended next steps.
