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Super search underway in Red Oak

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April 27th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The Red Oak Community School District wants to have a new superintendent in place this summer after an abbreviated regional search.  Superintendent Terry Schimidt announced earlier this month that he resigned effective June 30th. He declined to elaborate on his reasons, and his letter of resignation didn’t offer any explanation to the school board. The Daily NonPareil reports since that announcement, made during an April 9th meeting, the school board has moved quickly to start the task of finding Schimidt’s replacement.

Lee Fellers, the president of the school board, said the district hired G. Tryon and Associates to conduct the search. The same firm recently finished a search for the Shenandoah Community School District. Board members have provided the firm with a list of attributes they want in a superintendent. The board also worked to set a schedule with the search group that includes an application deadline at the end of the month.

Advertisements are being made regionally for the opening. The school board will decide May 4th whether it wants to continue the search process or put it on hold and name an interim superintendent for the 2015-16 school year. Four focus groups – made up of administrators, teachers, support staff and community and business leaders – will help the school board through the process. Those groups are currently being set up.

Should the board move forward, four to five semifinalists will be selected by the board at its May 18th meeting. Interviews would be held that week, with two finalists named on or around May 20th. Finalists would be interviewed May 26th and May 27th, with a decision May 27th by the board. The new superintendent would start July 1 or as soon as possible this summer.