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POTTER – Kevin Thomas, the Potter-Dix Public School District superintendent, is set to retire this June after working in education for 23 years.
Thomas also served as the elementary school principal and high school golf coach. A recruitment firm is assisting the school board hire a new superintendent with a target start date of this summer.
Don Hague and Jeff West, regional consultants with the executive recruitment and development firm McPherson & Jacobson, are aiding the search process. The firm recently helped Creek Valley Public School District hire a new superintendent.
Hague said Thomas resigned at the Potter-Dix school board meeting last month and the search process for his successor began shortly after.
During the past two weeks, the school board and community have worked to identify criteria for a new superintendent. According to a media release from McPherson & Jacobson, the ideal candidate would be a good communicator, positive leader, approachable, visionary and knowledgeable of Nebraska school laws and regulations.
Last week, Hague and district leaders met to began writing interview questions and discuss the logistics of the interview process.
“They’ll be taking applications through March 26,” Hague said.
After that date, the consultants will begin reviewing the completed applications and evaluating the candidates against the established criteria, the release stated.
Extensive background checks on the candidates will also be conducted.
Hague said the search process entails five steps. Steps one and two – meeting with the board and community to identify attributes sought in a new superintendent – have already been completed. Step three – accepting and reviewing applications – is underway. During step four, candidates will be presented to the board and interviews conducted.
After the superintendent has been hired, Hague will facilitate a workshop with the school board and new superintendent where goals and performance objectives are established – to fulfill step five.
Candidate interviews are set to be conducted in early April.
“April 20 is the timeline that [the board] wants to announce the new superintendent,” Hague said.
The board hopes to have the new superintendent take over their role on July 1.
A superintendent search process typically takes eight to 12 months, Hague said in an earlier interview.
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