Elmbrook Hires Iowa Firm in Superintendent Search

The Elmbrook School Board has agreed to pay an Iowa firm up to $20,900 to search for a new superintendent to success Matt Gibson when he .

After interviewing about a half-dozen search firms, the board chose Ray & Associates of Cedar Rapids, IA, opting for a national rather than local firm to widen the search out of state.

Gibson was hired as Elmbrook's superintendent in 1995, transferring from the top schools job in Stoughton outside of Madison. Prior to Stoughton, Gibson was superintendent in three Milwaukee suburban high school feeder districts (Swallow, North Lake and Fox Point-Bayside). Prior to that, Gibson had been a music teacher and school principal.

Elmbrook officials hope to have a superintendent candidate selected perhaps as early as February, following input from the stakeholders, including the board, district employees and the community.

Another reason for the February goal: the board would like to hire the next superintendent before the April elections for School Board, when the terms for Meg Wartman and Jean Lambert expire unless they seek and win re-election. Board President Tom Gehl has said one of the main reasons he ran for re-election last spring for another three-year term was to help select the next superintendent.

Ray & Associates will be paid up to $15,000 for consulting services and $5,900 for search consultant expenses, said Keith Brightman, Elmbrook's assistant superintendent for finance, operations and human resources.

As part of the fee the company will:

• Conduct a state, regional and national search by recruiting potential candidates; contacting people in the firm's database "whose interests match the district criteria;" contacting state School Boards and Administrators associations and private and public sector consultants; and advertising nationally through various web sites and publications.

• Verify data and check references submitted by applicants

• Conduct preliminary interviews of qualified candidates

• Provide the School Board with a detailed written report of all leading semifinalists

• Provide a matrix to help the board determine which finalists to interview

• Assist in board interviews of candidates and development of contract terms

Ray & Associates also guarantee that if two years after selecting a superintendent, the board is "dissatisified with the superintendent" and if the superintendent resigns or is terminated, Ray will "conduct a new superintendent search at no cost to the district, except for expenses."