School officials are being very quiet about their search, but they are steadily working toward finding a new superintendent to replace Dr. Melonie Hau, when she resigns this summer.
Superintendent searches are usually conducted this way because of the need for the privacy of those who have applied, or are seeking, the job. As with many jobs, if their current employer were to find out they were looking elsewhere, there potentially could be problems, especially for the applicants who are unsuccessful in their job search.
The board has held several meetings with executive sessions (closed meetings) to discuss the search and to internview applicants. They’ve held meetings so far, where the agenda has listed the superintendent search, on December 13, February 9, 15, 16, 20 and February 23. No action item was listed and no action been taken.
The Oklahoma Secondary School Boards Association (OSSBA) was hired late last year to provide executive search services to the local school board. They have been helping with establishing a search timeline, marketing and advertising for candidates, conducting a survey of Newcastle residents to deterimine what they believe are the desired traits for a successful candidate, recruit candidates and manage the search process, and contact candidates for both scheduling of interviews and notifiying unsuccessful applicants.
A fee of $8,000 was charged for the OSSBA services, along with expenses on a fee basis for any additional services approved by the Newcastle Board of Education.
A statement from OSSBA’s Superintendent Search Services states, “Hiring a superintendent is one of a school board’s most critical responsibilties. OSSBA can help your board find the right leader to help lead and support your students, your schools, and your community.”
Dr. Hau was unable to say much about the search, although she did say the District has had a good number of applicants, and the Board is working through their process and making sure they are very thoughtful in what they are doing.
The community survey provided at the first of the year, garnered more than 500 responses by Newcastle school patrons.
“That information was taken up by the Board and is being considered as they look at qualities in the candidates,” Hau said. “It is an important part of the process.”
Hau said some of the attributes which stood out from the survey included a candidate who is a strong communicator, someone who values transparency, and someone who is engaged and visible within the community.
Hau said the Board continues to work through the process and may schedule more meetings.
Calls by the Newcastle Pacer to School Board President John Maker for comment went unreturned.
