Headhunter gets $25K contract to find new Edmonds schools leader

Published 1:30 am Monday, October 14, 2019

EDMONDS — Leaders of Edmonds public schools are counting on an executive search firm from Iowa to find the district’s next leader.

Ray and Associates of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, will conduct a national search for a successor to Superintendent Kristine McDuffy who plans to retire June 30.

The Edmonds School District Board of Directors approved a $25,000 contract with the firm Oct. 8.

Under terms of the contract, Ray and Associates will conduct all aspects of the recruitment.

As part of the process, the company will independently review the work history of top candidates. The firm also will provide the school board with criminal, civil litigation, social security, motor vehicle record checks and verification of educational degrees for the finalists.

On Oct. 22, school board directors will sit down with company representatives in a work session to discuss the process and a schedule for recruiting, interviewing and reaching a decision.

A timeline proposed by the firm calls for applications to be accepted through early January. Interviews would be done later that month and finalists identified in February.

Directors hope to make a decision in the spring and have the new person start July 1, 2020.

McDuffy announced in August that she would serve one final year before retiring. She said she wanted to give the board ample time to find her replacement.

McDuffy took the helm at Edmonds School District in July 2016, following eight years as superintendent of the Arlington School District. She is the Edmonds district’s second female superintendent.

With an enrollment of roughly 20,300 students, Edmonds is the county’s largest school district. It has an annual operating budget of $321.6 million.

Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@herald net.com. Twitter: @dospueblos.