Consultant search set for new superintendent

• RF School District

RF School District

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The school board met in closed session Monday night and decided the first step to replace retiring Superintendent Tom Westerhaus was to hire a consulting firm.

Board President Stacy Johnson Myers said a consultant search had begun. Interviews with promising applicants will end Friday, Feb. 15. A hiring decision will come later in the month.

The school board has used consultants to oversee recent superintendent searches, including for Westerhaus and, his predecessor, Boyd McLarty.

“We don’t have the expertise,” Johnson Myers said of the school board. “(The consultants) also have good contacts in the field.”

She stressed the gravity of picking a qualified superintendent who’s well-matched for River Falls.

“We recognize that selecting the next leader of our school district is an incredibly important responsibility,” Johnson Myers said. “And we take that responsibility very seriously.”

Johnson Meyers said it hasn’t been determined how much will be spent on a consultant. She said that will depend on proposals and contract offers made by applicants.

“It’s not a cheap venture. We haven’t budgeted an amount, but we won’t be recklessly spending,” Johnson Myers said.

Once the consultant is hired, a timeline for the superintendent search will be laid out. Johnson Myers said the timeline will be filled with public-input opportunities.

Tags: education, wisconsin, business