District residents expressed their hopes and concerns at a public forum focused on the search for Pioneer School District's next superintendent.
School Leadership LLC, the consulting firm assisting Pioneer School District with its superintendent search, held a series of stakeholder meetings Sept. 28 in the school district. One meeting had input from students, another involved the faculty, and others had support staff and administration in attendance.
Howard Smith, Ed.D., and John Schiess of School Leadership explained the process of gathering input, creating a profile, and recruiting and interviewing candidates. After that it would be up to the Pioneer Board of Education to interview the semi-finalists recommended by the consultants, and then to appoint the next leader.
Dr. Smith said the process will play out over the winter months, with a new superintendent tentatively appointed by sometime in March.
Since 2004, School Leadership has completed 137 administrative searches, including 108 superintendent searches. The firm employs 16 experienced associates who are former superintendents, school board members, and state officials.
Dr. Smith said the search consultants' responsibilities include not only gathering input from stakeholders, but also working with the Board of Education at all points of the process, developing specifications based on stakeholders' responses, and developing a recruitment letter and application protocols.
About 15 people attended the public forum. Some expressed a desire for the board to keep the process more open, while others asked how the consultants could ensure candidates' integrity.
On June 3, the board announced Superintendent Ben Halsey was placed on administrative leave. Later in the summer the board approved a separation agreement, citing "philosophical differences."
Dr. Smith said his firm had received over 400 responses to its online survey aimed at gathering public input for the search. That survey included some 530 comments, all of which will be shared with the board, he added.