Search for new Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools superintendent begins

As most residents began their weekends, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education began its search for a new superintendent.

With the help of its selected search firm, the North Carolina School Boards Association, the board approved a general outline for the selection process at a Friday night meeting.

Since current superintendent Neil Pedersen plans to retire in June, the board wants to have a replacement selected by April 1.

“It was felt that that would be the minimum amount of time necessary for the next superintendent to give notice to the current district they’re departing,” said Assistant Superintendent for Support Services Todd Lofrese.

State law requires a minimum notice of 30 days before a superintendent leaves, but some contracts go as high as 60 or 90.

To have a new superintendent in place by April, the board set an application deadline of Jan. 31 and will begin advertising the opening today.

The search firm will advertise the position in places like the websites of American Association of School Administrators and Education Week. While some sites are free, the estimated budget for advertisements is more than $2,000.

This money will come out of the $40,000 allotted for the search, said Board Chairman Mike Kelley.

“It will slow you down if you don’t go ahead and advertise,” said search firm representative Allison Schafer.

“What you don’t want to do is get behind everyone else in the country who is looking so you don’t lose out on some great candidates that might be applying other places.”

While hopefuls are filling out the nine-page application, which consists of 12 short answer questions and four essays, the board will host two forums for community input.

The forums will be held at the Hargraves Community Center and East Chapel Hill High School, but dates have not been chosen yet.

Schafer said a forum she hosted in Durham for another district’s search drew only three attendees, but board member Annetta Streater said it will be important to hold multiple meetings in areas accessible to public transportation.

Among other stipulations, the board decided it would be important for the superintendent to reside within district limits.

“When I first came here, I had two kids in school, so I wanted to live in the district,” Pedersen said.

Other characteristics the board seeks include strong leadership ability and a commitment to closing the achievement gap.

“It’s about commitment to the community,” Streater said.

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.