The pool has been reduced from 42 applicants from all over Texas and eight other states, according to a district press release. Of those, 28 are serving as superintendents, have been superintendents or are assistant
superintendents. The remaining 14 have experience as principals or in other fields related to running a school district, according to school board officials.
Dr. Benjamin Canada of Texas Association of School Boards Executive Search Services, which is conducting the superintendent search, refused Wednesday to release the names of the final candidates.
“The board voted to have a confidential search, so I am not able to give you that information,” he said. “They are not finalists. They are applicants.
“Our intention is to be as open and above-board as possible,” he said. “We will follow the law.”
According to the Texas Government Code, No. 552.126: “The name of an applicant for the position of superintendent of a public school district is excepted from the requirements of Section 552.021, except that the board of trustees must give public notice of the name or names of the finalists being considered for the position at least 21 days before the date of the meeting at which a final action or vote is to be taken on the employment of the person.”
Canada said the board has said all along there would be just one finalist and that name would be revealed once that one finalist had been selected.
TISD board president Steve Wright said the reason the names of the candidates are not released is to attract superintendents now working in other districts. A superintendent interviewing at other districts would create resentment in his or her home district if the interviews became public knowledge.
“These are not called finalists, they’re candidates and the board has signed a confidentiality agreement and in doing that we agreed to do a closed interview process so we would get the quality of applications we wanted and expected,” Wright said. “If (applicants) are aware that their names are posted they won’t apply. With a closed application process you attract a higher level applicant.”
The board plans to narrow its search to a sole applicant on April 8. At that time, the public will have 21 days to review the board’s choice for superintendent. The public won’t have the opportunity to review the four other applicants, who will be eliminated from the process by April 8.
The board will vote to hire the finalist on May 1, after the 21-day public comment period.
