BENTONVILLE -- The School Board on Thursday began the process of finding its next superintendent by identifying three firms to help with the search.
Board members agreed to ask BWP and Associates, Ray and Associates and Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates to interview with them at the board's next meeting May 2. Other firms will be free to submit their bids as well.
Thursday's work session was the board's first chance to discuss its plan for replacing Superintendent Michael Poore, who informed board members Monday he's leaving this summer for the superintendent's job in Little Rock.
Some board members said they'd already done some research on how to move forward. Travis Riggs, board president, said he contacted Rogers School District officials this week for insight on the superintendent search they just completed this month.
The Rogers board interviewed three search firms before choosing Ray and Associates, which is based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Rogers paid about $18,000 for the firm's services.
Riggs said the timing of the board's search is somewhat difficult, because many potential candidates already have committed to where they'll be next school year.
Board member Brent Leas said he favored appointing an interim superintendent.
"That would give us that time to really throw that net wide and make sure we're getting the best candidate we can," Leas said.
The board didn't commit one way or another to finding a permanent replacement before the new school year.
"We could go ahead and do the search, and if we don't feel the pool is strong enough, we can say, 'Let's wait,'" Riggs said.
Debbie Jones, who began in February as the School District's deputy superintendent, was asked by board member Grant Lightle whether she'd be comfortable serving as interim superintendent if called upon to do so.
"I serve at the pleasure of the board," Jones said.
Board members agreed, by a 6-1 vote, to move the start time of their May 2 meeting from 5:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. to allow more time for the anticipated interviews of search firms. Leas was the only member who voted against that.
One advantage to a district of hiring a firm to assist in a superintendent search is a firm can collect applications without those names having to be disclosed to the public, as would be required if the district collected them, Riggs said.
Another advantage is each firm knows specific people who would qualify for a particular job, Riggs said.
"They call people. They're so networked out there," he said.
BWP and Associates, based in Libertyville, Ill., was the firm the board used in 2010 for its last superintendent search, which lured Poore from Colorado Springs, Colo. Twenty-four people applied for the job. Riggs is the only board member who was on the board at that time.
Poore's last day with Bentonville is June 30. He has about 14 vacation days left he could use before then if he wishes.
Poore told the media Tuesday he'll be working hard the next two months not only to get familiar with Little Rock but also to ensure a smooth transition in Bentonville.
The Little Rock district was taken over by the state Board of Education, its elected board dismissed and its superintendent placed under state direction on Jan. 28, 2015, because six of the district's 48 schools were labeled by the state as academically distressed.
Poore will replace Baker Kurrus, who has served as Little Rock's state-appointed superintendent since last year.
NW News on 04/22/2016