The Prior Lake-Savage Area School Board took the first steps in looking for its next superintendent during a special planning meeting held May 11, and a lone finalist is expected to be chosen by early June.

Barb Dorn, Director of Leadership Development and Executive Search for the Minnesota School Boards Association, was hired May 4 by board members to lead a fast-tracked search in order to have the new superintendent working on July 1. The position was posted on local and regional websites beginning May 12. She indicated the board will consider three employment options:

• An interim superintendent with a one-year contract;
• An interim superintendent with interest in becoming the PLSAS superintendent the following year;
• A superintendent with an immediate three-year contract.

To be considered for the role, completed applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19.

The job posting included a list of key attributes board members would be looking for when interviewing for the position. The list included: experience in school finance, ethical and honest leadership, collaborative board relations, commitment to academic achievement, respect for community values and strong academic background. The leadership profile also stated that the new leader must work closely with the school board and community to build trust, advance student achievement and transform challenges into opportunities.

The starting salary range posted was $210,000 to $290,000.

Dorn and MSBA staff will begin screening applicants from May 20-26, with board members brought into the process on May 21. The board will have access to all applications received. A board training meeting is scheduled for May 26 that will include discussion on interview questions and procedures that will be followed by all members.

The board will conduct candidate interviews on June 1 and 2, after which a lone finalist will be selected. Contract negotiations will begin the next day. If all goes as planned, approval of the employment contract with the new superintendent will occur during a special meeting on June 15.

Dorn hosted an online informational session on May 13. She identified the sequence of events that will be scheduled over the course of the next month. She indicated the MSBA’s role is to share options and could make process recommendations, but final decisions will be made by board members. At this time, she expressed confidence there will be a good pool of candidates for consideration.

In order to protect the integrity of the process, Dorn said all board members have been asked to stick with the school district’s public posts related to the search. Consistency will play an important role during the interview process, she added, so the same questions will be asked of all candidates.

All board meetings associated with the superintendent search will be open to the public, including interviews. Since the current schedule has them scheduled to occur over a two-day period, there will be no live-streaming of the meetings, thus avoiding the opportunity for candidates being interviewed later in the process to be privy to responses by candidates interviewed early on. Dorn said she has encouraged board members to refrain from accessing social media options to research finalists since the information may not be accurate.

More information on the superintendent search can be found on the district’s website.