Last updated Dec. 2, 2024
This page features information* about the search process for the next superintendent of schools for the New Hartford Central School District.
*Information has been provided by Superintendent Search Consultant and District Superintendent of OHM BOCES Patricia N. Kilburn, Ed.D.
Updates on the superintendent search will be discussed during New Hartford Board of Education meetings.
Superintendent Search News Headlines | How to Participate and Access Search Information | Timeline | Frequently Asked Questions
Superintendent Search News Headlines
- Superintendent search survey responses
- New Hartford CSD to hold superintendent search focus group
- Board seeks community feedback on superintendent search – Survey #2
- Board of education seeks community input on superintendent of schools search – Survey #1
- Search Consultant shares next steps in superintendent search process
- Board appoints consultant to help with search for new superintendent
- Superintendent search process to be discussed at Aug. 15 special board meeting
- Superintendent of Schools Dr. Cosimo Tangorra, Jr. to retire in March 2025
How to Participate and Access Search Information
School & Community Participation
Throughout this search, the Board will seek input with regard to the characteristics and qualifications sought for the next Superintendent, key strengths and attributes of the District, potential areas for growth and improvement and the experiences of parents/guardians, students, staff and teachers, and community members relating to these topics. Additionally, participation will also be sought in development of the guiding statement for the search. For the New Hartford CSD, this input will be gathered through a series of surveys, forums and meetings. The feedback gained from students, staff and teachers, parents/guardians and community members is used in the following ways:
- Data from the surveys, forums and meetings will be used to draft a guiding statement for the search. The New Hartford Board of Education will also invite participants in the development of this guiding statement. The statement is designed to capture the significant themes and perspectives expressed by the school community regarding the needs of the District and what it seeks from the new superintendent. This statement is used throughout the search.
- The guiding statement and feedback from students, staff and teachers, parents/guardians and community members will also be used in the development of questions, scenarios, written work and assignments that candidates must complete. Additionally, the guiding statement is used to continuously gauge each applicant’s fit with the District throughout the search process and maintain a focus on the themes and priorities that were identified.
Additional Information
Additional information on how to participate and share input, along with updates on the progress of the search will be shared and updated through:
- The New Hartford Superintendent Search webpage;
- press releases distributed to local newspapers and media outlets; and
- the New Hartford CSD mass notification system (ParentSquare).
Timeline
September 9 through September 18 – A survey requesting input regarding the desired qualifications, characteristics and attributes of the new superintendent will be available.
September 23 through October 2 – A survey requesting insights into the current mission statement of the New Hartford CSD, the perceived strengths of the District and areas of growth or improvement will be available.
November 2024 – Focus groups to gather and understand the experiences of parents/guardians, students, staff and teachers and community members regarding the mission statement, strengths and areas of growth of the New Hartford CSD will be held.
December 2024 – Focus group(s) development of the superintendent search guiding statement is anticipated.
January 2025 – The Board of Education plans to conduct its confidential candidate selection and interview process.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. What ways can a district conduct a superintendent search?
Self-Directed – The board of education is responsible for all aspects of planning, coordinating and executing the superintendent search. This can be a cost-saving but time-consuming process, and is typically utilized by boards that already have multiple internal, qualified candidates in mind.
Search Firm – Search firms are professional recruiters who have extensive experience conducting leadership search processes for school districts and universities. They provide full-service searches and recruitment. There are costs for these services, and the firm may not be as familiar with the local region and district-specific needs.
District Superintendent/Search Consultant – District Superintendent of the Sole Supervisory District of Oneida-Herkimer-Madison Counties and BOCES. Patricia N. Kilburn, Ed.D. serves as the field representative of the New York State Commissioner of Education and as the Executive Officer of the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES. In her role as the Commissioner’s representative, she acts as a consultant for individual districts and as a liaison between districts and the State Education Department. Upon request, she can also be appointed by a board of education to act as a consultant in the board’s selection of a superintendent of schools. Dr. Kilburn was appointed as the search consultant for the New Hartford CSD on August 15, 2024.
Q. What is Dr. Kilburn’s role in the search?
The search consultant’s duty is to assist the board in recruiting, screening and evaluating candidates for the superintendent of schools position. This includes helping to develop selection criteria, coordinating and facilitating meetings with stakeholder groups, developing materials describing the position, placing advertisements, screening applicants and assisting the board throughout the interview process. In addition to this, she also serves as the single point of contact for the superintendent search.
Q. What is the cost of a superintendent search conducted by a district superintendent?
There is no fee for the work completed by Dr. Kilburn during the superintendent search as it is part of the job responsibilities for the district superintendent position. However, there are ancillary expenses associated with the search such as advertising/marketing, recruiting, forum coordination by additional facilitators, data analysis, communications, media relations, publications, etc.
Q. What is the role of a board of education in a superintendent search?
At the beginning of a superintendent search, the board considers elements of the search, including search type (open or confidential), search scope (state-wide or national), marketing (digital, print, media, etc.), salary range, interview and meeting dates, and a search timeline.
The board participates in the process; drafting a guiding statement for the search, selecting candidates, participating in candidate interviews, developing and reviewing candidate assignments, negotiating a contract and appointing the new superintendent of schools. A superintendent search requires a six-month commitment from the district’s board of education. This includes approximately eight meetings, usually three or more hours each, often on consecutive days and consecutive weeks. Board confidentiality throughout the process is key to ensuring the integrity of the search and preventing candidates from removing themselves from consideration due to a breach of confidentiality.
Q. Who is authorized to appoint a Superintendent?
The final decision of selecting and appointing a new superintendent of schools rests solely with the board of education. While community and stakeholder input are valued and relied upon throughout the search process, the board of education, consisting of members elected by their community, ultimately holds the sole authority to appoint a superintendent of schools and enter into an employment contract with the successful candidate.
Q. How long does it take to conduct a superintendent search?
From appointing Dr. Kilburn as the search consultant to appointing and announcing a new superintendent of schools, a superintendent search will typically last about six months. This can vary depending on the number of applicants and any challenges the search encounters.
Q. What are the major milestones in a successful superintendent search?
Gather feedback from stakeholders; analyze data to design the search; marketing and advertising for the position; review, screen, vet and background check candidates; conduct interviews, contract negotiations and appointment of the new superintendent of schools.
Q. What are the types of superintendent searches?
The two most common types of superintendent searches are:
Open Search – During an open search, candidate names are disclosed to the public at some point during the search. Typically, this occurs when the board has selected finalists. In this circumstance, resume evaluations and initial candidate evaluations are done by the board. Once the board has determined the final candidates, the finalists’ names are released to the public and stakeholders are given an opportunity to engage the finalists and provide their feedback. An open search may provide a greater sense of transparency for the school community, yet it may limit the number of candidates who apply or participate in, the search.
Confidential Search – During a confidential search, all candidate names remain confidential for the entire process, up to and through a board appointment. Confidential searches are typically used in an effort to attract experienced administrators who maintain positive collaborative relationships with their communities and boards of education. The nature of a confidential search allows candidates to participate in the process while mitigating the risk to their current circumstance, a consideration that inhibits some leaders from applying for other positions through open search processes. Currently, the superintendent search process in New York State is competitive, and within the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES region, the use of confidential searches has increased. A confidential search may place a district in the position to attract a larger pool of highly qualified, experienced applicants, though this is not guaranteed.
Q. What Opportunities are there for stakeholder input/involvement?
With both types of searches, the board initially seeks stakeholder input with regard to the characteristics and qualifications sought for the next superintendent, key strengths and attributes of the district, and potential areas for growth and improvement.
During the search process, input will be gathered through surveys and a series of stakeholder focus groups. The feedback gained from stakeholders is used in the following ways:
- Data from the various surveys, ThoughtExchanges and focus groups are used to draft a guiding statement for the search. The statement is designed to capture the significant themes and perspectives expressed by the school community regarding the needs of the district and what it seeks from the new superintendent. This statement is used throughout the search.
- The guiding statement and stakeholder data are used in the development of questions, scenarios, written work and assignments that candidates must complete. The guiding statement is also used to continuously gauge each applicant’s fit with the district throughout the search process, and to assist the board of education in remaining focused upon the themes and priorities that were identified by the school community when searching for the new superintendent of schools.
Q. What can potentially go wrong during a superintendent search?
Some challenges the search may encounter can include a lack of viable candidates, candidates removing themselves from consideration and/or contract negotiations falling through. Any of these situations could cause the search to be unsuccessful.
Q. What if there is no successful candidate?
If the board of education does not feel that they have a successful candidate, they can choose to terminate the search at any time and reopen it after a pause. The search consultant would help the district to secure an interim superintendent of schools during this time, if necessary.