The Duval County School Board is taking its search for a new superintendent slow and steady.
School Board Chair Paula Wright said Monday, the board wants to make sure it chooses the right person.
Wright and board member Warren Jones met Monday to work on a Request For Proposal (RFP) calling on interested superintendent search firms to apply.
Wright said the district will split up the search process into well-defined phases. The search firms will then tell the board how much each phase would cost.
For instance, they discussed Phase II will probably be the recruitment phase. “So that when we send out the RFP, all proposals come in like form,” Wright said.
She said without the phases, it was hard to compare prices during their last superintendent search since every firm used a different cost formula.
Wright and Jones decided last month they’ll require search firms be available for an interview, which is another change from the former process.
They plan to present the RFP to the entire board on Dec. 12, after going over a version with district staff Dec. 6.
Wright said the public has made one thing clear during community meetings regarding the superintendent search.
“[They’re telling me] don’t rush it,” Wright said. “Take the time we need to ensure we are going through the process, we are vetting and that we’re looking at a great leader so I’m encouraged by that.”
The community meetings will wrap up this week. The final meeting is 6 p.m. Thursday night at Raines High School.
Reporter Lindsey Kilbride can be reached at lkilbride@wjct.org, 904-358-6359 or on Twitter at @lindskilbride.
