The first step in bringing in a new superintendent for the William S. Hart Union High School District is to choose a firm to conduct the search.
The Hart district governing board has a special meeting set for Wednesday at 4 p.m. to narrow down the list of search firms tasked with finding potential candidates. From a list of six firms, the board will choose which ones will be interviewed at the board’s April 17 meeting.
The six firms initially in the running, and the maximum costs associated with each, are as follows:
- McPherson & Jacobson, $25,500.
- Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates, $30,000.
- Education Leadership Services, $25,000.
- Leadership Associates, $29,500.
- Education Support Services Group, $27,500.
- The Cosca Group, $23,500.
Each firm provided their proposed services and qualifications for their expertise as search firms.
One of the main services that each firm provides is allowing the district and governing board to continue to go about their business while the firm searches for potential candidates. That includes background checks and a pre-interview process to weed out candidates who may not fully fit the qualifications that the board is seeking.
Mike Kuhlman announced last month he would be leaving his post as superintendent of the Hart district effective June 30. He is set to take over as the superintendent of the El Dorado Union School District in Northern California.
Education Leadership Services was previously tasked with providing services for the El Dorado district, though not necessarily to search for a superintendent.
Each of the six firms has a transition phase built into the process once a candidate is selected, approved and hired. That phase typically goes through the new superintendent’s first year on the job. TCG says it will provide mentorship and support for up to two years.
The transition fee for HYA is $15,000 per school year and is not included in the initial fee.
ELS says it guarantees satisfaction and will recruit new candidates should the chosen superintendent choose to leave the position for any reason in the first year or within two years if the reason is not personal or familial.
McPherson’s guarantee is even broader, allowing the district two years in which if the chosen candidate leaves for any reason, the process begins again with no additional cost.
