New Decorah School Superintendent should be hired by the end of January

On Wednesday night the Interim Decorah Community School Board began work with Grundmeyer Leader Search in their search for a new superintendent of schools to replace retiring Superintendent Mike Haluska.

The first order of business was to finalize and sign the consulting contract for $13,263.94, and make the initial payment of $2500. Grundmeyer will coordinate virtually all major aspects of the recruiting and hiring process.

Most of the meeting was spent determining the search and hiring timeline:

• Stakeholder survey open: October 19-29. The survey will be available to all major stakeholders and the general public. This survey essentially helps a new superintendent view the "pulse of the community," as well as highlight potential areas of emphasis for questions in the interview process.
• Application period: November 5 – January 1. Grundmeyer will provide a variety of publicity methods to announce the position vacancy. They are confident the position will elicit very qualified candidates.
• Screening all applications: January 7. Grundmeyer and the School Board will screen all the applications, narrowing the field to 6-8 candidates.
• Initial interviews: January 22. Grundmeyer and the School Board will conduct brief "Google Interviews" of the 6-8 candidates. They will screen that pool of candidates down to 3 candidates.
• Final interviews of 3 finalists: January 28. The finalists will all interview on the same day, with staggered schedules. They will meet with a variety of stakeholders such as teachers, administrators, support staff and community members. The Board anticipates making a final decision that night, with Grundmeyer making a final offer and negotiating as necessary on the same evening. Final candidates will be advised they should be able to make a commitment that night if offered a position.