In a special meeting of the school board, members heard from Minnesota School Board Association (MSBA) Director of Leadership Development and Executive Search Barb Dorn to develop a timeline for the district’s superintendent search.

The school board proposed an accelerated timeline that seeks to finalize the contract with the future superintendent by May 21. To fit that timeline, the application opened April 7 and will remain open through April 22. According to Dorn, there are already “two or three” candidates interested in the position, even before the application had opened.

The school board decided to use the MSBA as a search firm for the district’s new superintendent, at a cost of $12,400 with the addition of a $395 background check by MSBA on the finalist. Dorn had previously worked with ISD 200 in the superintendent search in 2020 which led to the hiring of Dr. Bob McDowell in April of that year.

Leadership profile

According to Dorn, three factors affect which candidates apply for any given district: reputation, salary and location. The board decided to move forward with a salary range of $195,000-$215,000, a figure meant to encompass space for both new superintendents and those with previous experience in the role. Superintendent Champa’s salary for the 2025-2026 school year was set at $213,708.

To that point, the board had no qualms in reviewing candidates without previous superintendent experience. School Board Chair Carrie Tate underscored the importance of curriculum and therefore the prospect of hiring a Director of Curriculum or another director-level candidate.

Candidates discussed the language for the leadership profile that will accompany the job application. Communication skills, integrity, robust academic background and curriculum proficiency, and cooperative work with the school board are all qualities listed.

Timeline

The timeline laid out by the board begins with a special meeting on April 29 at 6 p.m. in which board members will receive interview training from the MSBA and select which candidates they wish to interview. The first round of interviews is set for May 6 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. although those times could change depending on the number of candidates being interviewed. The finalists for the position will be announced after that meeting and the second round of interviews are scheduled for May 13 at 2 p.m. with a finalist selected afterward. Contract negotiations will begin May 14.

Finally, at the regular May 21 school board meeting, the board is expecting to approve the contract and thereby hire ISD 200’s new superintendent.

“This is all assuming you find someone,” said Dorn. According to Dorn, the board can expect anywhere from 1-18 applicants. If the interview process doesn’t turn up candidates deemed suitable by the board, the MSBA has a series of contingent plans for interim superintendents.

Interim superintendents

If the school board decides to move forward with an interim superintendent with a one-year contract, the MSBA will provide another search in the 2025-2026 school year at no additional cost to the district.

According to Dorn, the MSBA already has 5-6 candidates who have said they would work as interim superintendent for the district for the upcoming year if need be.

The interview process of an interim superintendent is vastly less formal than of hiring a permanent candidate for the position, skirting the strict open meeting and data privacy rules that the board must balance otherwise.

Of the candidates provided by the MSBA, “eventually the board trusts the chair to bring one person forth to the board for more of an informal interview. It’s not even called an interview. It’s usually a meet and greet,” said Dorn.

The other option for interim superintendent is an interim candidate who is open to staying at the position permanently. “They are not in it just for one year. They’re in it because they want a leg up on the job.”

Dorn described this route as a trial run for a candidate and potentially a shortcut in the hiring process if the first year goes well.

This year has been a high-water mark for districts searching for superintendents in Minnesota, according to Dorn. While not a new issue, the rate of dis- and misinformation on finalist candidates has caused issues for various superintendent searches across the state.

“It’s not new, but this year it’s been quite amplified,” said Dorn.

Several finalists have been slandered by mis- and disinformation online from anonymous sources late into the hiring process in districts across Minnesota. These “blatant lies,” as described by Dorn, often come from anonymous accounts on social media and have increased in the last year. It is a telling report of just how pervasive misinformation can be, even at the most local levels.

With Superintendent Dr. Tammy Champa accepting the superintendent position in Owatonna, her last day with the district is June 30.