Search underway for new district leader

For the past 12 years, the Milton School District has been led by Superintendent Dr. Cathy Keegan, but with her retirement on Sept. 13, the search for her replacement is underway. The school board hopes to find a new superintendent by April.

Dr. Keegan announced her retirement at the Oct. 12 school board meeting. At the Jan. 12 school board meeting, the school board officially began the search for a new superintendent by approving PSBA (Pennsylvania School Board Association) as their search firm, according to Milton Business Administrator and School Board Secretary Mr. Derrek Fink.

PSBA will organize and guide the district through the search process, he added.

There are numerous levels of “stakeholder involvement” and multiple interviews with these groups throughout the community as they go through qualified applicants, said Mr. Fink. Stakeholders are anyone that has invested interest in the district, such as staff, taxpayers, members of the community, students and their families, Mr. Fink explained.

School Board President Ms. Christine Rantz said today’s superintendents have to be able to relate and get along with a wider array of groups than ever before. It is important that they have a strong quality of dedication because they make tough decisions regularly in their role, she said.

According to a flier distributed by PSBA, candidates for the position are expected to “commit to, and have experience with, clear and compelling engagement, collaboration and communication with all stakeholders in the district and the community.”

New superintendents must be able to create a “collaborative environment” through various levels of cooperation, be well informed on district matters, effectively use human and financial resources and seek consensus. They must also be able to skillfully select and positively motivate qualified staff, create a strong management team and establish positive board relations and transparency with all participants, added the flier.

There is a survey asking members of the community what traits they think are most important in a superintendent, on the school district’s website, according to Mr. Fink. The school board will keep in mind this community feedback in the decision-making process, he added.

“It’s striking a balance between someone who has really quality experience but at the same time isn’t so set up in their ways that they don’t have room to grow while joining a new team…. It’s finding that sweet spot where you have someone who’s knowledgeable, has the skills and talents, but also the ability to adapt,” said Mr. Fink.

The easiest part of searching for a new superintendent is promoting the staff, students and community, according to Mr. Fink. A major part of the process is highlighting great things that the school district and community accomplishes as a team, he added.

When hiring for leadership positions, it can be difficult to decide because they only have a few hours to meet and interview candidates, said Mr. Fink.

“It takes years to develop proper leadership within a new organization. So, you just have to trust that the hiring and interview processes you have in place are quality, that you’re going to follow them well and end up making the right decision,” added Mr. Fink.

Mr. Fink said he expects a new superintendent to take some time to adapt to the role and develop their own style, which will bring changes to some district procedures.

This can be difficult, Mr. Fink said, but added that it is necessary for the success and longevity of that individual, as well as for the growth of the school district.

It is also challenging to establish top priority goals for instruction and achievements, according to Ms. Rantz.

“It is really an incredibly difficult job….To be a superintendent, you have to just be an incredible, incredible communicator, be willing to set emotions aside and do what you believe is going to be the best for the district,” said Mr. Fink.

It is a challenge to try to balance every single thing within a school district of 2,000 students and 300 staff, along with community and other interests. It is impossible to make everybody happy all the time, he added.

Ms. Rantz said it is significant to find a candidate whose preferences match in terms of the district’s “status of growth.”

According to Dr. Keegan, it is important for a new superintendent to know and understand the school district’s achievements.

Dr. Keegan said that the candidate should understand the district’s history and how it reached its current state. “This understanding will drive the vision, planning and long-term goals for success,” she added.

A further challenge might be that over 100 school districts in the state are searching for superintendents, according to Dr. Keegan.