The Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools board voted on May 4 to use the Minnesota School Board Association (MSBA) as its search firm to aid in the district’s search for its next superintendent. Due to the departure of current Superintendent Michael Thomas in less than two months and the July 1 start of the new school year, board members also opted to initiate a search for an interim superintendent who may be looking for and have the qualifications to fill the position on a permanent basis.
Barb Dorn, Director of Leadership Development and Executive Search, presented MSBA’s proposal for aiding in the search. Three options were presented and included: an interim search this spring, a full search this spring and a full search next winter.
Dorn noted that a typical full search, such as the search they proposed for next winter, has 21 steps and comes with a $24,900 fee. The proposed full search this spring would be an abbreviated search with 17 steps and a fee of $19,900. The search for an interim superintendent is a shorter, more casual search that would have 11 steps. The cost for that search is $6,000.
The board had questions about the options, focusing mainly on the interim search and the full search this spring. Dorn stated that the board would have access to information on all the applicants, not just those that MSBA chose to move forward in the application process. She also noted that although there would likely be fewer applicants for an abbreviated spring search than full winter search, she has already received calls from interested parties.
Board member Jessica Mason said she had concerns with the interim option since it lacked a transition plan to fill the role on a permanent basis. Dorn said that most people who apply for an interim position likely have ideas regarding their transition that they’d share with the board. She later added that MSBA could possibly provide a transition workshop for an interim superintendent at an additional cost.
A number of board members expressed their desire to search for interim candidates who had the desire and skills to take on the role on a permanent full-time basis. Dorn said that MSBA could pose that question to potential candidates to determine if their interest was in a one-year commitment or permanent position.
Board chairperson Amy Bullyan said she would be very hopeful that the person chosen to fill the role on an interim basis would want to serve a longer term with PLSAS.
If an interim superintendent successfully transitioned to the full-term role, Dorn said the district would save a significant amount of money by not needing to pay for a full search.
Dorn said the next steps need to happen quickly. She and the board members will schedule a planning meeting for early next week. In the meantime, MSBA will begin to put together a detailed plan and timeline for the search.
