ISB consultant outlines superintendent search process, timeline and fee options

Jim Helton, associate executive director for executive searches with the Illinois Association of School Boards (ISB), presented the association’s superintendent-search process to the board July 15 and answered board questions about timeline, fees and stakeholder engagement.
Helton described a multi-step process: pre-search surveys and focus groups; drafting an announcement of vacancy and ideal-candidate profile; a confidential online application process; consultant screening and verification of qualifications; reference and background checks; presentation of an agreed-upon slate of candidates to the board in executive session; and support for interviews and transition workshops. He said ISB’s process emphasizes confidentiality to encourage quality applicants.
For Decatur, Helton recommended a standard search fee of $10,400 (tiered by district size) that covers the primary consultant services. Optional add‑ons — for example, practice interview training ($1,500) and additional stakeholder-group facilitation for semifinalists — would be priced a la carte and added if the board requests them.
Helton said ISB can advertise nationally through affiliated organizations, use a multi‑state applicant platform (Revelus) and reach a network of 7,000–8,000 educational leaders with vacancy notices. He described a projected timeline that would keep Decatur in the “first wave” of searches, enabling candidate presentation in the November–December window and a potential January contract start for a new superintendent if the board moves quickly.
Board members discussed whether to approve ISB and its fee structure at a future meeting; the board agreed to return to the item at the August meeting with potential action on contracting for search services.