BENTONVILLE -- The School Board voted late Monday to hire Ray and Associates to assist with its search for a superintendent.
The board interviewed three search firms via Skype on Monday. Travis Riggs, board president, asked each board member to rank the firms when the interviews were completed.
The cost
Ray and Associates’ base fee for performing a superintendent search for Bentonville is $18,000. That price may be adjusted if the board selects only certain elements of the firm’s service package or requests other services not part of the package. Certain other expenses associated with travel, lodging, meals and printing may be charged to the district as well, according to documents from Ray and Associates.
Source: Staff report
Ray and Associates, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was the board members' unanimous top choice. Other firms interviewed included BWP and Associates of Libertyville, Ill., and Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates of Schaumburg, Ill.
The board hasn't decided on a timeline for hiring a replacement for Michael Poore, who plans to leave Bentonville at the end of June to be superintendent of Little Rock schools. Poore has been Bentonville's superintendent since July 2011.
The timing of the search is an issue. Search firm representatives interviewed Monday acknowledged that many potential candidates already are committed to their respective school districts for the next school year, and it may be better for Bentonville to hire an interim superintendent.
That doesn't mean no one is willing to change jobs this summer, said Ryan Ray, corporate director for Ray and Associates.
"I know a former national superintendent of the year, and she just contacted me a month ago and said, 'Ryan, I want you to know I'm looking,'" Ray said.
Board members came to a consensus Monday they would advertise the superintendent's position as soon as possible, see how many applicants the job draws, then evaluate the applicant pool this summer. If they aren't satisfied with the pool, they may decide to extend the search.
"I kind of look at it like fishing," board member Grant Lightle said. "You might as well try to get the line in the water sooner rather than later."
Ray and Associates has been in the school executive search business since 1975. It has more than 170 associates across the country, according to documents the firm provided to the board. The firm suggests a search process that involves first collecting board and public input on desired characteristics in the next superintendent. The firm creates a promotional flier about the job and distributes it to potential candidates.
Ray and Associates recruits candidates and collects applications. At the end of the application period, the firm assists the board in selecting finalists to be interviewed.
Ray emphasized it isn't the firm's job to hire a superintendent.
"That's your job. So whatever you want to do, we will do for you," he said.
The Rogers School Board hired Ray and Associates to help find its replacement for retiring Superintendent Janie Darr this year. That job attracted 62 applications. The Rogers board last month chose Marlin Berry, superintendent of the Olathe School District in Kansas, to succeed Darr starting July 1.
Riggs said he had spoken to two Rogers board members about their experience with the firm, and both were very satisfied with the process.
Brenda Dietrich, one of two associates who worked with the Rogers board, said the Rogers search brought a deep pool of candidates.
"I think you'll find there are plenty of folks out there who are experienced superintendents who would be interested" in Bentonville, she told board members. "You've got a quality district."
Baby boomers are retiring, meaning more younger superintendents are coming up through the ranks, Ray said. Dietrich agreed.
"But with that youthfulness you get a lot of energy, a lot of excitement and a desire to do the best job they possibly can," Dietrich said.
NW News on 05/04/2016