The Sweetwater County School District #1 Board of Trustees last night discussed the process for hiring a new superintendent with the announced departure of current Superintendent Kelly McGovern. The board of trustees held a workshop prior to the public meeting to discuss the job description after taking a number of e-mails from the community on what they felt the qualifications should be. The search will be conducted using the Wyoming School Board Association and their national partners at a cost of $6500. The board discussed the workshop and the hiring process during the public portion of the meeting later in the evening.
Trustee Cole Wright said, “I think it’s important to note that this is a national search, but we are open to local candidates as well. We want the best candidates no matter where they may be. I think I can speak for the board that we all came to a consensus on the job description, and we’re looking for someone to provide the best atmosphere for our students and one who will work well with members of our community. “
Chair Carol Jelaco said that the new job description will go out with the search being conducted by the Wyoming School Board Association. Jelaco said that with the truncated timeline before prime hiring season, the WSBA has an extensive network both in and outside of Wyoming through their association partners to help get the job done. “Prime hiring season is February through March.”, she said. Jelaco went on to say that they will be working with the Wyoming School Board Association to post the position by the end of November, with applications due in the middle of January.
Trustee Stephanie Thompson said that she had spoken with other board members across the state about their experiences with the Wyoming School Board Association’s efforts in helping them find new Superintendents and that all of them had positive experiences. Andrea Summers wanted to point out that the presentation they received from the WSBA made her feel a bit more comfortable with the short timeline after reading it. “There’s not a ton of pressure to find a suitable candidate because we do have someone currently in the role, and the WSBA will help us find an interim superintendent to work in that position until we can find a suitable candidate if none are found during the hiring process” , she explained.
Jelaco assured the public that once they get to the interview stage, they intend on having a community forum with each of the candidates, an opportunity to meet with the finalists, and there will also be a staff forum and a lunch with the administrative staff. “The public will have an opportunity to meet with the final candidates, and we will advertise those dates as times become more appropriate,” Jelaco explained. She also gave some insight on the search saying that School District #1 is fortunate this year, as sometimes there are 5 to 6 superintendent jobs to be filled but to her knowledge that isn’t the case this year, so they will not be as taxed as they often are.
