LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — As the Clark County School District makes its way through the superintendent search, its neighbors to the north in Washoe County just went through a similar process, naming their superintendent on May 14.
We reached out to the Washoe County School District to get an idea of how its superintendent search went, hoping to get some context on what's in store for Clark County. We also reached out to CCSD, but school leaders declined to comment on the superintendent search outside of board meetings.
Based on those meetings and accompanying documents, CCSD estimated its superintendent search would take five months, starting from the hiring of a search firm to the new superintendent's first day on the job on Nov. 1.
TIMELINE: Here's how CCSD's superintendent search process is expected to play out:
Washoe County School District's interim chief human resources officer, Katie Louise Weir, says it took her school board members about four months to name a superintendent.
"Truthfully, ours could take another six weeks once they're named to finalize contract negotiations, so it's possible our timelines are more close than they appear," she said.
School board members in Washoe County also managed to get a lot done during that process. For example:
- They held a brainstorming session on what trustees were looking for in a new superintendent.
- They sent surveys to families and community members asking what they wanted.
- They then used that information to determine the five finalists.
- Then, they brought them to Washoe County.
"In all of our meals and things we did where the applicants had one-to-one interaction with trustees, we did all those at locally-owned businesses so they could get a feel for...the food scene here in Reno and Washoe County, because that tells you a little bit about our community," said Weir. "Ensuring they visited schools of all different shapes, sizes, and varieties to really get a clear picture of schools that were built in 1931 and schools that were built in 2023."
The candidates also met with business leaders and were part of large community forums with each room designated for a different group. Weir says students, staff and the community were able to hear directly from the candidates in their respective rooms.
The board also interviewed the finalists, and a second survey was sent out. Weir says this one asked participants to respond directly to each candidate. Respondents did not hold back, laying out things they liked and areas where they had reservations.
It ultimately led board members to select Joe Ernst.
"Is there any advice you would give to our board, as they get ready to embark upon this journey?" I asked Weir.
"Absolutely. I mean, I think our school district's similar to theirs...We want a superintendent who will stick around for a long time. I think that that's what we're looking for, and I'm sure that's what Clark is looking for, too, so I think, really, it needs to take as much time as it takes, because you want to get it right," said Weir.
"I think just rushing for the sake of feeling urgent is perhaps not the way to go. And really listening to the voices of the team: the parent community, the staff community, the central office. I think that's been a really wonderful part of this process for us. There's been such high engagement from so many, and ultimately, I think that leads to buy in and support once a leader is named."
She also said her perspective has changed having gone through the process.
"There's this constant cycle of new people being interested in superintendencies, and there's not really a season that's a little more intense than others, so I hope that perhaps gives your viewers a sense of peace of mind, that they haven't missed the window," Weir said.
