Community gives input in superintendent search Blytheville School District

BLYTHEVILLE— Monday night, roughly 30 community members met at the Blytheville High School Auditorium to voice what they hope to see in the next superintendent of the Blytheville School District.

The community meeting was hosted by McPherson -Jacobson, LLC consultant’s Dr. Keith Williams and John Hoy.

Williams and Hoy begin the meeting by giving a brief background of their career in education and how this process will transpire over the following weeks.

According to Williams, McPherson- Jacobson will not hire the next superintendent but will give their insight on the best candidate for the job.

Williams expressed there is a survey on their website that he asked the community members to share with citizens who were unable to attend the meeting.

Williams added the success rate of McPherson and Jacobson is 80 percent of superintendents recommended stay at the school for five years and 60 percent stay for 10 years. The company has conducted more than 1,000 superintendent searches nationwide.

The timeline, according to Williams, is they are currently conducting interviews with community leaders, students, faculty, administrators and students, while allowing applicants to apply. The application process will be open until April 8.

Between April 8 and April 24, Williams and Hoy will begin an extensive vetting process on each applicant. Williams added, he has talked to at least 15 people, if not more, concerning the position.

At the April 24 school board meeting, Williams explained they will give their final recommendations.

“These are people that we recommend that you consider to be finalist, we recommend them,” Williams explained. “They still have the option of not choosing anyone that we recommend, and want to interview somebody else. That’s the board’s decision, we can’t tell them what to do.”

The board will then select their finalists and interviews will begin to take place April 28 and will run until May 1.

Williams added he recommends the board make a decision shortly after the interviews are conducted and hire the next superintendent.

Williams led the roughly 45-minute long meeting by asking a series of four questions and gaining feedback from those present.

The first question asked, “What are the good things about Blytheville, Arkansas, or in the community.”

Community members responded, “Family oriented”, “community involvement”, “jobs/ steel industry”, “hospitable”, “geographical location”, “huge alumni support”, “involved city government”, and “churches”.

“What are some great things concerning the Blytheville School District,” was the second question asked by Dr. Williams.

Responses given were “great teachers”, “sports program, great athletic director (McKenzie Pierce), with a great family”, “Blytheville High School Foundation for high school graduates”, “Internships”, “Improving security”, “Arkansas Northeastern College”, “supportive parents in the district”, “talented and intelligent students”, “support from local partners”, and “good technology in classrooms”.

Williams then asked community leaders to name skills and qualities that a superintendent would need to be successful at Blytheville.

Responses included, “patience”, “trust”, “good communicator”, “knowledge of the position”, “a commanding presence”, “people person”, “values discipline”, “will communicate hard truths”, “financially stable”, “not a yes person”, “transparent”, “relocation/ where they plan to live”, “community oriented”, and “committing ownership”.

The final question asked was what were problems concerning the school district.

Community members responded, “a failing school district”, “the buddy system”, “discipline”, “lack of teachers”, “the board”, “low morale”, “qualified teachers”, “recruiting students back to the district/ fixing why people are leaving”, “safety”, “transparency”, “perception”, “visibility in the community and school district”, and “career planning for students planning to go to college”.

After discussion concluded, Williams gave the community a list of the board’s criteria and then expressed they had taken notes from their meetings throughout Monday, will add from online resources and have a report, which will be given to the board.