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Survey expected to begin next week for parents, others

The Albert Lea school board on Friday set dates for various parts of the superintendent search process as it works with the Minnesota School Boards Association on hiring a new full-time leader for the district.

The job listing will be posted from Jan. 27 through March 4, and a survey will be open for the public to complete from Jan. 29 through Feb. 19 about priorities for the next superintendent.

Barb Dorn with the Minnesota School Boards Association said the school board has the option of also doing focus groups and listening sessions to incorporate the public if it chooses, though the organization has seen increase in participation with its surveys in recent years.

An informational question and answer Zoom session will take place at 4 p.m. Feb. 6 in which community members can submit questions ahead of time or in-person about the search process. The session will also be recorded and shared on the district’s website for people who are not able toattend live.

The board will also have an interview training at 5 p.m. Feb. 27 ahead of the interviews to review what are considered protected classes and questions that cannot legally be asked. During that time, the board will discuss the results of the public survey and decide whether they want to have further stakeholder involvement.

On March 18, the board will meet at 5 p.m. to determine the finalists in the search. The first round interviews will be conducted starting at 9 a.m. March 26 and will go throughout the day, with the second round interviews starting at 4 p.m. March 31. Most school boards typically deliberate and select their new superintendent the same day as the second round interviews.

As long as the board has a candidate they like for the superintendent and are able to reach a consensus, negotiations with the individual could begin April 1, with the employment contract approved at the April 7 regular school board meeting.

Board member Angie Hoffman said one of her frustrations from the most recent search was that the board members are only able to interact with the finalists essentially twice and asked whether boards are still making site visits to the communities where the finalists are currently employed and if there are other ways they can get to know the candidates more.

Dorn said boards can conduct district visits, though she has not seen one done in almost six years. She suggested if that was important for the board, to do that between the first and second rounds of interviews. She noted though that it was important to treat the candidates the same. If one candidate is coming from further away and the board was not able to go to that person’s community, it would not be fair to do site visits on the others but not that individual who lives further away.

The board also discussed the salary range for the position, as Dorn said it is required by state law now to be included on job listings.

Hoffman suggested a range of $165,000 to $185,000 looking at the average cost per student compared to others in the state.

Board member Kim Nelson suggested a higher maximum of $195,000, considering five of the board members said they would prefer an individual with experience.

Board member Neal Skaar said he hoped the board would not for the sake of frugality have a maximum number in the range that would deter quality candidates, but said the board shouldn’t have a maximum number that is too much for the district to afford.

Nelson also said it was important that the bottom number in the range not be too low as to be too close to the principals.

The board ultimately gave direction for the salary range to be $170,000 to $195,000.