Consulting Firm To Help Search For New CV Boss

Central Valley School District will pay an educational consulting firm at least $21,000 to help the district find a new superintendent.

Plath, Nielsen, Rodgers Associates (PNR), based in Illinois but with associates all over the country, is one of the nation’s largest educational consulting firms.

PNR has helped find superintendents for districts from New York to Washington state - including Spokane School District 81’s Gary Livingston.

The board decided to use a consulting firm, said board president Kay Bryant, because no board or staff member has the time or resources to conduct such a search.

“(The board) knew there was no way this kind of added work load could be given to someone on staff,” Bryant said. “It is a monumental job. It isn’t like putting an ad in the paper.”

In Washington state, PNR works with the Washington State School Director’s Association (WSSDA), which gives school board members a local contact to turn to if problems arise, Bryant said.

Although no definite cost has been agreed upon, PNR’s proposal to the board specifies that the professional fee for the search will range between $12,300 and $14,500, and expense estimates range between $9,000 and $14,000.

Expenses include toll telephone calls, printing of letters, postage and secretarial services, creation of search brochure, advertisements and travel.

PNR was chosen over two other search firms, Jensen, Oldani and Cooper, a firm based in Bellevue, Wash., and WSSDA.

PNR won primarily because of its focus on involving the community in the search, something CV board members have stressed as key to the search, Bryant said.

“We’re looking for someone that can go into the community and be accepted,” Bryant said. The board unanimously selected PNR.

The search proposed by PNR has three basic components. First is preparing for the search by approving a search schedule and deciding upon job qualifications.

Next is searching for candidates, which includes processing applications and screening applicants. Then finalists are chosen, their home sites are visited and the field is narrowed to one.

On Oct. 2 at 6 p.m., the community will have the opportunity to meet the search consultant when the school board holds an open meeting at the district office with Paul Plath of PNR.

At the meeting, the the board will discuss the timeline for choosing the next superintendent.

, DataTimes