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Superintendent Howard Hinesley will leave in 2004, but board members are beginning to think about how to go about replacing him.
By STEPHEN HEGARTY, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published February 19, 2003
Pinellas schools superintendent Howard Hinesley isn't leaving his job until late 2004, but the search for his successor could start in just a few months if School Board members decide to look nationally.
The search might take about six months, and board members want someone in place by the start of the school year in fall 2004. They also want to avoid making the selection a major issue in the 2004 School Board elections.
If the choice is made before the election cycle, "you don't get the same pressures on you," said Wayne Blanton, director of the Florida School Boards Association, who made a presentation at a School Board retreat Tuesday. "The public will judge you on your search one way or the other."
Much of the all-day retreat was devoted to the issues of how board members do their jobs, how they get along and how they run their meetings. But it started with the first in-depth discussion of one of the most important tasks facing the current board, the search for a new superintendent.
Hinesley has led the district for 13 years, making him the dean of Florida school superintendents. His tenure has lasted a lot longer than the average superintendent's, roughly four years. In October, Hinesley gave the School Board two years' notice, announcing he would leave his position at the end of 2004.
If board members want to get a new superintendent on the job well before the 2004 school year, and if the search might take six months, that means the search should be under way in less than a year. And there are decisions to be made before launching the search and advertising for candidates. Board members will have to decide whether to hire a local candidate, conduct a statewide search or a national search. A national search would take about six months and cost about $35,000, Blanton estimated.
Board members also have to decide on a salary range and the job qualifications, so the district can attract a good pool of candidates.
Board members plan to learn about how to hire a consultant to handle the search in a meeting next month.
Though they have not made a decision as a group, a majority of the seven board members say they are inclined to do a national search even if they end up with a candidate from Florida.
"We owe it to the district to do a national search," said board member Jane Gallucci. "We need to look outside our comfort zone."
"I feel it should be national," said board member Mary Brown. "If we go national, then we'll also get Florida candidates."
Board members said that when the list of candidates is whittled to a handful, they intend to seek public input on the finalists. Still, the decision is up to the board members, Blanton reminded them.
"It's the most important decision you're probably ever going to make as a School Board member," Blanton said. "You're selecting a person you want here for a long time."