Board hears rival superintendent‑search firms; members press for stronger community engagement and diversity data

Two executive search firms made rival pitches to the Township High School District 211 Board of Education on April 25 as trustees begin planning to replace Superintendent Dr. Small, who plans to retire in June 2025. Alma Advisory Group and Hazard Young Associates outlined differing approaches to outreach, candidate screening and post‑hire support while board members questioned timeline feasibility, equity safeguards and how internal candidates would be treated.

Sylvia Flowers, managing director of talent acquisition at Alma Advisory Group, told the board her firm centers searches on “authentic community voice and transparency.” She described a process that starts with stakeholder surveys, community listening sessions and focus groups to develop a competency‑based job profile, then uses an applicant‑tracking system and active recruiter outreach to source candidates. Alma’s fee was described as roughly 32% of base salary, with the firm offering Spanish‑language translation for engagement materials.

Board members pressed Flowers on timing and bias mitigation. Miss Baron asked for examples of how the firm has helped boards identify and reduce bias; Flowers said Alma emphasizes screening against documented competencies and trains interview panels in anti‑bias processes so selection decisions focus on evidence rather than subjective “fit.” Board members also asked whether the firm would prioritize internal candidates; Flowers said that decision would be made with the board and that internal candidates would be handled carefully but could be evaluated within a national search if the board preferred.

Hazard Young Associates (HYA) followed with a presentation emphasizing its long track record and local presence. Dr. Brian Harris, Dr. Ken Art and Dr. Karen Sullivan said HYA will provide a private board portal with 24/7 access to applications and documents, a research‑based stakeholder survey available in multiple languages, and human‑tiered candidate categorization (tier one/ two/ three) rather than relying on strictly algorithmic sorting. They recommended performance‑based finalist activities so the board can observe candidates executing real tasks rather than only answering interview questions.

Trustees repeatedly asked both firms for more concrete data on diversity in past candidate pools and more clarity on community engagement timing. Several board members said the district’s summer calendar and staff availability mean deep stakeholder work may need to occur in late summer or early fall to capture robust staff and student input. HYA said it could tailor timing to the board’s preference and share comparable diversity statistics from prior searches on request.

Both firms said they would provide a leadership profile report summarizing stakeholder feedback and recommended competencies; both also said they could support transition planning after a hire is made. The board did not take an immediate vote on a firm; members requested additional materials and follow‑up information to be provided before the board meets again to select a search partner.

What’s next: trustees asked both firms to supply additional competency‑level data, examples of equity interview questions and candidate‑pool diversity statistics; the board will review those materials at an upcoming meeting prior to selecting a search firm.