ROCK SPRINGS – The Sweetwater County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees is laying the groundwork for a superintendent interview process that will involve public participation and the district’s outlying communities.
The application period closes Jan. 31 and applicants will be reduced to three or four finalists Feb. 6. Those finalists’ names will be announced following their selection.
District board members agreed to host community welcome gatherings for the three finalists coming to the district for interviews in both Farson and Wamsutter. Farson will host two of the meet and greets. The idea came about following discussion about how Carbon County School District No. 2 handled the issue of including the outlying communities to the process. Board Member Andrea Summers said the Farson-Eden community would appreciate being involved in the selection process. Other board members agreed with the idea, though Chairwoman Carol Jelaco voiced concerns about weather and road safety during the winter months.
The interviews will be three-day events for each finalist. The first day will be an arrival day with the community welcome event, followed by a “long day” of interviews during the finalist’s second day in the district. The day consists of interviews and forums with various groups within the district, ending with an interview with the school board later that evening. The third day would be a travel day for the finalist to go home. According to Brian Farmer, the executive director of the Wyoming School Boards Association, the organization assisting the district in its superintendent search, the second day is meant to simulate the long days a superintendent can expect while working in the district and gives the board and other stakeholders a view as to how the finalist can cope with those long days. Members also discussed the idea of streaming a public interview with each candidate to give residents the opportunity to learn more about them and give feedback on their preferred finalists.
The board also opted to create a survey form to gather information from residents about what their preferences are for a school superintendent. Board Member Stephanie Thompson voiced concern about survey fatigue as the district currently has a survey it seeks public participation with, but a hand vote by the board members approved the initiative 4-3.
Farmer said the WSBA has already received applications from people interested in the role, with a few more expected before the deadline. He also reiterated earlier statements made about expecting a small, but skilled applicant pool. He said superintendent jobs nationwide have become harder to fill as fewer people want to take on the roles. Superintendent jobs require knowledge of a variety of skill sets, which can include food service, human resources, transportation, and education. As the district pushes for a new Rock Springs High School building, one of the key areas Farmer recommends the district paying attention to is if the applicants have experience with the construction of school buildings. Farmer said the hiring of a superintendent is a situation of bringing the right person with the right skill set to the district at the right time.
The district has set a $170,000 salary to the position, with Farmer recommending that not be a hard limit if the right candidate comes along. Farmer believes being open to negotiation can secure a great candidate, recommending the board not let a “trivial” amount of money get in the way of hiring a fantastic candidate. Farmer admits a board needs to be good stewards of the public funds it receives, saying the process is a delicate balance.
“It will be negotiable,” Jelaco said.
