- Alachua County School Board unanimously hired McPherson & Jacobson for a superintendent search costing $47,200 during a special meeting on Wednesday.
- The firm plans an eight- to 12-week five-phase search process, aiming to hire a superintendent by the end of the year.
- McPherson & Jacobson offers a two-year guarantee to support the board and repeat the search at no cost if the selected superintendent is not a good fit.
Alachua County Public Schools could have a permanent superintendent hired before the holidays after the School Board of Alachua County unanimously voted to hire McPherson & Jacobson to conduct the district’s search during a special meeting on Wednesday.
The Omaha, Nebraska-based firm was one of three candidates considered. The other two were Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates and the Florida School Board Association. McPherson & Jacobson was the second most expensive at $47,200.
McPherson & Jacobson consultant Debra White and directors Steve Joel and Ralph Ferrie presented the five-phase plan they would implement over an eight- to 12-week superintendent search, hiring and transition process. Joel said the firm could potentially wrap up the search by the end of the year.
In phase one, the firm meets with the school board to solidify a search timeline, post the job opening, identify stakeholders, and identify the desired characteristics and salary for the role.
Phase two prioritizes input and recruitment. The firm will meet with stakeholders and present a report to the school board about what they’d like to see in a candidate. It will also start recruiting applicants from its network of around 5,000 educational leaders registered in its database.
In phase three, the firm will screen applicants through background checks, reference checks and reviews of their financial histories. White said candidates are asked to submit questions, along with video responses about their backgrounds and the questions they would ask district administrators.
The school board will consider a short list of candidates compiled by the firm in phase four, before interviewing and selecting a superintendent in phase five.
The plan also includes a two-year “McPherson guarantee,” under which the firm will guide the board and superintendent through the transition process and repeat the search at no cost if the superintendent is not the right fit.
Joel said McPherson & Jacobson had never needed to redo a search under its two-year guarantee.
He said the firm had conducted over 1,000 successful searches in the last 45 years, with over 130 consultants across the U.S. Joel said McPherson & Jacobson saw an 80% retention rate of candidates remaining in their positions for five years, 60% for 10 years and over 40% for 15 years.
Without at least five years of experience, Joel said a superintendent will not be able to move the needle in the direction a board wants. McPherson & Jacobson doesn’t recommend superintendents it has placed in the last five years.
The firm offers DISC and Driving Forces Leadership Assessments to help the superintendent and board understand how they work together and Innovate K12 services for additional costs.
“You’re not in this alone. You’re not out there by yourself,” White said. “We are committed to providing support and assistance to you.”
Each firm candidate had one hour to present to the board on Wednesday, with some like McPherson & Jacobson doing with their consultant in person and directors joining virtually.
Joel said the goal of the search process would be to clarify the needs of district leadership, build a strong and diverse candidate pool, and support the board in making a confident superintendent decision.
He said a successful search is often dependent on clarity of leadership needs, the strength of candidate recruitment, quality of school board alignment and attention to a candidate’s fit with the community.
Joel said the more stable the board’s circumstances are, the more likely a superintendent is to stay. He said the firm would promote the board’s unity, staff and proximity to the University of Florida to attract the best possible candidate.
Board Member Sarah Rockwell made the motion to hire McPherson & Jacobson and the rest of the board unanimously approved.
Even though McPherson & Jacobson didn’t have the highest rate of superintendents remaining in their positions, board members Tina Certain and Janine Plavac said that was more a reflection of the school boards’ fault since they’re the ones who hire the superintendent.
Plavac also said she liked the transparency McPherson & Jacobson offered by involving stakeholders.
Board Chair Thomas Vu said he liked that the group had experience with Florida districts, as it helped select the superintendent for Sarasota County, and that the firm didn’t shy away from telling the board the part it needed to play to create a successful position.
McPherson & Jacobson will meet with the board during a Sept. 9 workshop to outline the search process with a timeline and next steps.
Hiring the firm was the next step in what’s been nearly two years without a permanent superintendent for Alachua County Public Schools. The transition has included the hiring of Kamela Patton as interim, an extension of her contract and the initiation of a national search for a new superintendent in November.