Cape school board solicits public view on superintendent

The Cape Girardeau School Board knows what it's searching for in a new superintendent, and now district parents and other patrons will have their say.

A public forum will be held at 7 tonight at the board office at 301 N. Clark Ave. for patrons to express their vision of a new leader and share concerns about the ongoing superintendent's search.

Board members met Wednesday with Missouri School Boards Association consultant Dr. David Mahan to discuss the search, which MSBA is conducting. The board will meet again at 5 p.m. today prior to the forum.

Today, Mahan is visiting various community members, district employees and city leaders to build a profile of the district that will be used in the search. The information received at the forum will add to the profile.

"We'll talk to them about the search and ask them to tell us what they feel are the strengths of the community and what are the concerns of the community," Mahan said.

Patrons will also be asked what their expectations are for the new superintendents and their opinions on what priorities the superintendent should address first in the district, Mahan said.

"I've been doing this awhile now, and one thing that amazes me is that people speak very openly. They talk about the things they're proud of, and they talk about their expectations of a new superintendent," Mahan said.

The forum is only one part of MSBA's search process. For a fee between $12,000 and $15,000, MSBA conducts a needs assessment of the district, recruits and evaluates candidates and aids the school board in its interview techniques, reference checking and salary negotiations.

The board plans to have a list of candidate finalists by the end of November and a superintendent hired by the end of December.

Mahan said he expects between 15 and 20 superintendent applicants, possibly some from other states, to participate in Cape Girardeau's search. Mahan will interview each applicant and then recommend those he deems best to the board for further interviewing.

Board members voted unanimously in August not to rehire current superintendent Mark Bowles. Bowles' contract expires June 31, and the board has indicated that he will remain in that position until then.

The Missouri School Boards Association is a not-for-profit organization that performs between 25 and 30 superintendent searches annually as part of its services to member school districts.

cclark@semissourian.com

335-6611, ext. 128