Candidates for schools chief not revealed

Terry Webster

Thursday, March 16, 2000 | 11:01 a.m.

The Clark County School District's superintendent search will resume next week the same way the first round ended in December: By keeping the community in suspense.

Three candidates are ready for their interviews, but their identities will be kept under wraps until the day they appear before the School Board and the Superintendent Selection Process Committee.

On Wednesday the School Board agreed not to release the entire slate at once.

The first candidate will be announced Monday morning, followed by a workshop to help School Board members brush up on their interviewing techniques. The remaining two candidates will be revealed on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Round two of the national search will feature three superintendents of school districts with 70,000-student populations or more, search consultant William Attea said.

This slate includes a female candidate, something the first round didn't have.

If all goes well, a new leader could be named by April 6.

Despite some criticism of Attea at past meetings, board members agreed to stay with the Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates firm of Glenview, Ill.

It was suggested during discussion, however, that the board may sever the national search with Attea if they are not interested in any of the candidates he presents.

Board member Larry Mason called for Attea's removal Wednesday, but the board voted down the measure 6-1.

During the meeting Mason put his hands over his face when Attea said he "can't guarantee anything."

"Nothing is cast in stone," Attea said. "If one of them changes their mind, it will be just two."

Mason presented an outline that would allow the district to do its own national search within a month or so. The plan includes contacting national education organizations to ask them for nominations, along with every state director of administrators associations, state superintendents and every superintendent of the nation's 100 largest school districts.

Nominees would be asked to apply within a week. That would be followed by the development of criteria for the position, interviews, background checks and other activities.

"I'm not happy with it at all," Mason said after the meeting. "I want to do away with the search firm and look at having our staff put something together. I think that maybe this whole process has been compromised and is not being done in the best interest of the school district and the community."

Referring to a national shortage of school superintendents, Attea told the board they are dealing with a seller's market.

"They (the candidates) are fairly to very interested in the position," Attea said. "There is still going to have to be a good selling job on the board's part. These people are from good, high-profile districts now and they are doing well."

With 217,000 students, Clark County is the nation's eighth-largest district.

Attea was given a two-week extension to look for candidates earlier this month when a convention of the American Association of School Administrators produced more leads. Board members and committee members have continued to point out that the time line for getting a new superintendent is still being met.

Out-going superintendent Brian Cram retires in July.

In the first round, five candidates were presented by Attea's firm, but all of them either dropped out of the running or were eliminated by the School Board.

Next week's scheduled activities run Monday through Friday and include interviews and community receptions for the candidates.

Terry Webster covers education for the Sun. She can be reached at (702) 259-4091 or by e-mail at terry@lasvegassun.com