December 11, 2023

This message was emailed to ISD 748 staff and families from School Board Chair Matt Moehrle.

EDIT 12/21: To view the December 18 virtual Q&A session recording, please visit the MSBA's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgQff54osEk.

ISD 748 Families and Staff:

The school board is in the early stages of our search for a permanent superintendent to take over when Interim Superintendent Tom Lee's contract expires at the end of June 2024.  

Over the summer, the board hired the Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA) to be our consultant during the search process.  The school board members and MSBA recognize the importance of the full school board being involved at all stages of this hiring process, and each of our meetings and interviews will be open to the public.  

On November 16, the school board attended an MSBA seminar called "Hiring the Right Superintendent," which focused on the mechanics of the search process. If you'd like to know more about the process, a video of the seminar is available on  www.isd748.org/superintendent_search.

On December 6, the school board met with our consultant and set dates for all the events that will be part of the hiring process.  Our general plan is to:  

• post the position on December 20
• accept applications until February 13
• determine semifinalists for interviews on February 26
• conduct first round interviews and select finalists on March 6-7
• interview finalists on March 11
• approve a superintendent contract on March 18

An important part of the search process is gathering stakeholder input for the school board to consider as it moves forward in selecting the new superintendent and here are two ways to engage in the search process:

1. Superintendent Search Survey - December 11, 2023 through January 15, 2024
An anonymous public survey is available for all stakeholders to complete between December 11, 2023 and January 15, 2024. The survey is available online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SuptSearchSartell-StStephen in English, Somali, and Spanish; hard copies of the survey in these languages are available at the District Service Center (DSC) and school buildings. Please return completed surveys to the DSC by January 15 so they can be included with the online survey results. Following the survey deadline of January 15, MSBA will summarize and provide an overview of the responses for presentation to the School Board.

2. Search Process Virtual Question & Answer session with MSBA - Monday, December 18 at 4p
To ensure all district stakeholders have access to accurate information regarding search processes and expectations, MSBA will host a virtual Q & A at 4pm on Monday, December 18. Please visit https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85076027264 to join the Zoom session at that time. All stakeholders are invited to attend the live session; however, to accommodate busy schedules as well as ensure access to search information, the session will also be recorded and made available on the district website for the remainder of the search. Questions about the search process can be submitted anonymously in advance by clicking https://www.isd748.org/MSBA_SearchProcessQuestions. Deadline for submission of advance questions is Monday, December 18 at noon. Questions may also be submitted during the session using the chat box. 

Additional details are on www.isd748.org/superintendent_search. Please contact Barb Dorn, MSBA Director of Leadership Development and Executive Search, at 507-508-5501 with any questions. Thank you for your interest and participation in the superintendent search process!

Best wishes to everyone during this holiday season and upcoming winter break.

Sincerely,
Matt Moehrle
School Board Chair - ISD 748