It will take a village to select the next superintendent for the Lakeland School District, a decision which could be made as soon as next month.
Before the application process began, a representative of the Pennsylvania School Board Association polled focus groups - composed of teachers, administrators, support staff, about 15 students and about 20 community members - on their desired qualities in a school leader. Those same groups will return next week when the second round of interviews is tentatively scheduled, school board President Mary Retzbach said.
"It's important for us because all the stakeholders should have a say in what the superintendent qualities should be," she said. "It concerns all of us and involves all of us."
The entire search has been guided by the PSBA after school directors approved hiring the organization to consult and assist with the process in December for $9,500.
"We were very pleased with the number of applicants we received," Ms. Retzbach said, explaining that all applications were sent to a PSBA consultant and the compiled information was then shared with board members.
During second interviews, potential hires will complete a session with each focus group before meeting with the board for a final interview. Feedback cards from all interviewers will be considered in the final decision.
"We're hoping for February, but you know how things go," Ms. Retzbach said of voting on the selection. "I think once we talk everything through and really analyze everything, a decision will be clear."
Current superintendent Margaret Billings-Jones, Ed.D., whose contract will expire in June, will be among the candidates considered, though she was not required to be interviewed with the new applicants, board member John Yanochik said.
Some members of the public have questioned whether Dr. Jones will simply be reappointed, but Mr. Yanochik said the board is considering all applicants, including the current superintendent, to find the best leader for the district.
"We wouldn't spend this kind of money to just go through the motions, but she is being considered," he said, adding that PSBA involvement has been a help.
The district is in the midst of a $3.5 million renovation project to replace the roof on the high school and make other repairs. There is also a district-wide $6.5 million renovation project moving forward. Those projects, in addition to teacher contract negotiations and the search, have given the board a lot of work, and Mr. Yanochik said he was happy the PSBA streamlined the process.
"From the candidates we've talked to so far, I think we have an excellent year coming out of this process and I put a lot of this in the lap of who we've hired," he said of PSBA. "It's definitely making the choice difficult, which is a good thing."
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