As a typical search can last three to six months, the board's first decision is whether to use a consulting firm. Sandy Gundlach, state director of management services, said the benefits include more free time for staff to conduct the search and access to confidential candidate documents that will help narrow the decision. About 40-45 percent of rural districts use the method.
However, the drawbacks range from the added expense to candidates who move from one search to another by consulting firms. Regardless of whether a firm is used or not, candidate interviews and other costs will accrue, she said.
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If the board chooses that method, it should interview firms as they would a candidate and shoot for a mid-November deadline to find someone, she said.
Discussion also centered on the new superintendent's salary. The average this year is $109,000, based on the roughly 110 superintendents who voluntarily quoted their salaries to the state board association.
Warren Schmidt, current interim superintendent, asked how the board could offer a salary amount flexible enough to attract good candidates while not locking the district into a dollar amount. Gundlach strongly suggested they offer a salary range commensurate with experience.
"The candidate will be more confident that you're offering a salary that... they can live with and are looking for," she said.
Asking for a three-year contract may also be in their best interest, as one-year contracts are rarely heard of and relocation is a substantial process. Research has also shown a longer tenure raises student achievement levels, she said.
During their search, Gundlach suggested the board not turn to Schmidt or delegate the decision to the staff or community. In the past, some districts chose to hand off authority and it didn't go very well, she said.
"Our recommendation to boards is that you are the hiring authority by statute," she said.
Community involvement is largely determined by the time of year the position opens up. At the beginning of a school year, there's more time to gather input, but as time goes on, sometimes it's better to move forward, she said.
Gundlach advised the board use someone outside of the school district if it decides to handle the search on its own.
"There's no right or wrong," she said. "It's just what feels best and right for the district."
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