Nampa School District is searching for a new superintendent. Here’s what it could cost
The Nampa school board moved forward with a firm expected to cost more than $20,000 to conduct a search for the district’s next superintendent.
The school board on Monday night heard from four firms — including the Idaho School Boards Association — and ultimately went with Hazard, Young, Attea, & Associates (HYA), a national firm expected to provide the search for a base fee of between $22,500 and $24,500, according to its proposal.
Other services, such as travel and additional advertising, could increase the total cost. Trustees will now move forward with contract negotiations with the firm.
Trustees said they decided on HYA for a number of reasons, including that the firm was well-organized, inclusive of students in its process and focused on transparency.
Board chair Jeff Kirkman also noted the firm’s track record. It has completed more than 1,500 searches among school districts of varying sizes and has decades of experience.
“The experience HYA brought to the table was the deciding factor for me,” Kirkman told the Idaho Statesman. “They help districts with as few as 500 students in the district to as many as 640,000.”
Trustees called the selection of the district’s next superintendent one of the most important decisions they will make as a board.
“It is critical that we select the best,” Kirkman said.
More Idaho districts conduct searches, use ISBA
The Nampa school board chose a national firm over a less costly alternative.
The Idaho School Boards Association offered a superintendent search for less than half the cost of the other options. The organization charges $3,750 for marketing of the position and $8,750 for marketing and the full search, according to the proposal presented to the Nampa school board.
Districts across Idaho looking for a new superintendent typically have three options: They can conduct their own search, use ISBA or hire a national firm, said Misty Swanson, executive director of ISBA.
“We see a lot more districts either using ISBA’s service or conducting a search on their own compared to using a national firm,” Swanson told the Statesman. “It’s not as common.”
Usually, a couple of districts each year use a national firm, she said. Often those are larger districts, Swanson said, and the price typically falls in the $20,000 range. Nampa is one of the largest districts in Idaho.
ISBA has conducted searches for both the Boise and West Ada school districts in recent years, according to its website. The Nampa School District also used ISBA to conduct its last search in 2017.
But board members said HYA offered specific services, including an assigned project manager, a board portal where trustees could go to access information and detailed engagement strategies to include the community in the process. HYA also had a “breadth of experience,” Kirkman said.
Swanson said a few reasons account for the difference in price points. School districts pay dues as ISBA members, and the organization then offers services to its members at discounted prices. ISBA staff also provide a number of services in addition to superintendent searches, such as events and advocacy, Swanson said.
“We make every effort to prioritize our districts going through the searches, but this is probably one difference between ISBA and the other companies you have or will hear from,” Swanson said.
Swanson told the Nampa school board Monday that ISBA has seen a decrease in candidates for superintendent positions over the past two to three years. School boards associations in other states have reported a similar trend, she said.
“It is a prestigious position to be a superintendent, but it’s also a very difficult one and one that comes with a lot of challenges, especially these days,” she told trustees. “I mention this so that you in full transparency know that there could be a decrease in candidate applications.”
Former superintendent resigned in February
The Nampa School District is moving forward with its superintendent search about eight months after its former superintendent, Paula Kellerer, resigned from the position. Since then, Gregg Russell, former assistant superintendent of teaching and learning, has filled in as interim superintendent.
Kellerer resigned shortly after three newly elected board members were sworn into their positions in January.
In her resignation letter, Kellerer said it was important that the superintendent and board align and work together for a shared vision “that puts children first.” Sometimes, she said, the “values and deeply held individual beliefs are too far apart.”
“When that occurs, it creates division and prevents a district from effectively focusing on the important work of student achievement,” she said.
