The Port Townsend and Chimacum school districts began convening focus groups to develop profiles of their ideal new leaders, marking the official launch of their joint search for superintendents on Monday.
Port Townsend School District also released an online survey — at ptschools.org/superintendent — to give the community a chance to provide input. That survey will be available through Oct. 30.
Chimacum School District also was set to release a survey on its website, csd49.org, but it wasn’t available Monday afternoon.
Both surveys pose the same questions and have the same deadline, but each is intended for residents within their respective district boundaries.
That’s because the results of each district’s focus groups and surveys will inform profiles that search consultant Hank Harris of Human Capital Enterprises will use as he sets about recruiting candidates.
Port Townsend’s survey, which is offered in both English and Spanish, poses four key open-ended questions. It also asks respondents what their role is in the district and whether there’s anyone they would like to see apply.
The questions, which are also being posed to focus-group participants, include:
• What does the district do well?
• What challenges do you expect the new superintendent will take on?
• What personal or professional qualities are most important to you?
• What are your thoughts about future opportunities for collaboration between the two districts?
The ideal candidate profiles that Harris and his team develop will be presented to the school boards during a joint meeting Nov. 12, when school board members will weigh in and finalize them.
Harris is set to present detailed information, including the applications themselves, of all candidates he recruits during another joint meeting in early January before preliminary interviews Jan. 9-11.
Finalist interviews are set for Feb. 1-5, and each district’s top choice is due to be announced in mid- to late February.
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Jefferson County senior reporter Nicholas Johnson can be reached by phone at 360-417-3509 or by email at njohnson@peninsuladailynews.com.
