An Illinois-based firm will help the Nampa School District find a new superintendent.
Trustees voted unanimously Monday to enter contract negotiations with Hazard Young Attea Associates to find a replacement for Nampa interim superintendent Gregg Russell. Trustees appointed Russell to replace outgoing superintendent Paula Kellerer on an interim basis in February. Russell told EdNews shortly afterward that he’ll apply for the job when it opens.
Trustees selected HYA out of a pool of four firms, all of whom pitched their search processes and prices to trustees Monday. Companies vying to contract with the district included:
- The Idaho School Boards Association
- Nebraska-based McPherson Jacobson, LLC
- Iowa-based Ray and Associates, Inc.
Board chair Jeff Kirkman noted ISBA’s experience finding Idaho superintendents, but he and other board members settled on HYA for several reasons, from an online portal that allows trustees to float questions to candidates to the company’s experience helping some 1,500 districts find new leadership.
“I really like that,” Kirkman said of the company’s selection track record.
Translation services also played a big part in the board’s choice. Nampa’s Latino population hovers around 38%, and HYA’s translation services could help the process be transparent for these families.
After selecting HYA, the board designated trustees Mandy Simpson, Brook Taylor and board clerk Krissy LaMont to negotiate a contract with HYA. A presentation packet included in the meeting materials put HYA’s base service fee at between $22,500 and $24,500.
Idaho Education News will continue to follow the search process in Nampa.
