This morning, the Hillsborough County School Board took its first step in the search for our new superintendent.

At a School Board workshop, district staff laid out the board’s options. This public workshop was not for the board to make any decisions—it was purely informational to give the board a look at the timeline and process ahead.

Based on their discussion, it appears the board is united in the desire for a nationwide search for a new superintendent and hiring a search firm to help locate and recruit strong candidates and manage the process.

Here’s what happens next:

• At the July 16 School Board meeting, district staff will make recommendations to the board on specific options for hiring a search firm.
• The board will begin gathering input from the community on the attributes our community desires in its next superintendent. That information will help board members direct the search firm in its work to secure applicants who are a good fit for our district.

As School Board Chair Tamara Shamburger said at the start of today’s workshop, “Hiring a new superintendent is the single most important decision this board will ever make.”

You can watch the full workshop online here: http://schoolboard.hcpswebcasts.com/