By Rick Palsgrove
Southeast Editor
The search for the next Groveport Madison Schools’ superintendent is under way.
In March, the Groveport Madison Board of Education approved contracting with K-12 Business Consulting, Inc., at a cost of $17,900, to conduct the search for potential superintendent candidates.
K-12 Business Consulting, Inc., conducted a survey and public forums in March to obtain community feedback on what to look for in the new superintendent. The company will create a superintendent search profile that will be available online at gocruisers.org by April 12.
The board will conduct initial candidate interviews on May 9 and 10 and final interviews on May 23 and 24. The board hopes to select a superintendent by May 30. Once hired, the new superintendent would begin work in the district by Aug. 1.
Chris Mohr, school business consultant for K-12 Business Consulting, Inc., said the superintendent search profile that will be on the district’s website is a recruiting tool. He said the goal is to have seven or eight good candidates for the board to interview by the end of April.
“Every school district has different needs at different times. We look for individuals who fit the situation,” said Mohr. “We are looking for the best person for the job.”
Mohr said Groveport Madison’s enrollment of 5,989 makes it larger than the average sized school district in Ohio, which is 2,700.
“This is not a starter district,” said Mohr. “We’re looking for someone with experience.”
Mohr said his company has received feedback about what the community wants in a new superintendent. The information was gathered from between 150 to 175 responses from community members, parents, and school district staff from surveys as well as several forums held on March 28.
At the public forum held at the district administration offices on March 28, a small gathering of community members said a strength of the district is its teachers and support staff, but that communication from administration to the public needs to improve. Community members at this forum stated they would like to have a superintendent who has good communication skills; takes an interest in the community; is enthusiastic; is collaborative with the teachers; has an understanding of the economic and social problems kids in the district face when they leave school at the end of the day; and who can embrace a common vision for the district to bring all the district’s buildings together towards unified goals and understanding.
Mohr said his company is compiling information it obtained from the surveys and forums and those full results will be available soon.
The new superintendent will replace Bruce Hoover, who resigned for personal reasons on Feb. 9. Deputy Superintendent John Hurd is currently serving as interim superintendent.
