School Board suspends superintendent search process after concluding first-round interviews with six applicants

The Rdale School Board suspended their search for a new superintendent after a 5-2 vote on April 6.

After lengthy deliberations and utilizing a rubric to evaluate the candidates, the data did not produce a majority agreement to move forward for the second round of interviews.

The School Board acknowledges the seriousness of the suspension of the search process and will discuss next steps during their work session on April 15, 2024. All seven Directors remain fully committed to finding the right candidate to serve as the next educational leader of District 281.

The Board chose MSBA on Dec. 4, 2023, as its search firm. The application process was open from Jan. 17, 2024, through March 6, 2024, which resulted in a pool of 14 candidates. During a work session on March 18, 2024, the School Board narrowed the pool to six candidates. First round interviews were conducted from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. on Saturday, April 6, 2024.

“Rest assured, despite tough deliberations and disagreements, the full Board is committed and passionate about hiring THE best candidate to lead District 281,” said Board Chair ReNae Bowman. “The stakeholders in our District deserve a home run candidate and this Board will deliver.”

The School Board wishes to express their sincere appreciation to all candidates who participated and supported the superintendent search process.  

At the board meeting on April 15, the board made the decision to repost the position of superintendent. The updated posting will be open until filled and require superintendent experience. 

For additional background information on the search process thus far please visit rdale.org/discover/superintendent-search.