SPRINGFIELD LOCAL SCHOOLS

Board to conduct its own search for superintendent

Goal is to find successor by July 1 before O’Shea retires

3/16/2017

The Springfield Local Board of Education will skip a search consultant and look on its own for the school district’s next superintendent.

The board met Wednesday to discuss first steps in the process to find a successor to Superintendent of Schools Michael O’Shea, who announced his retirement several weeks ago.

Board members unanimously agreed the district’s own staff could conduct the search, saving thousands of dollars in consultant fees, and tapped Treasurer P. Ryan Lockwood III to lead the hiring effort.

Board president Richard Helminski said the goal is to have a superintendent on the job by July 1, a date that would give a month-long transition period before Mr. O’Shea’s retirement at the end of that month.

Mr. Lockwood said he thinks the district can reach the same number of potential applicants as a search agency by promoting the opening with organizations he’s already in contact with. He also said Springfield is able to produce materials in-house to assist with the search.

“I trust our people to do a much better job,” said board member Ev Harris.

The board heard pitches from two agencies who wanted to do the search for the district.

The Toledo-based Educational Service Center of Lake Erie West would charge $3,500 plus printing and any miscellaneous costs. The Columbus-based Ohio School Boards Association quoted a fee of $7,500 plus expenses, including travel.

Mr. O’Shea, 66, is paid $151,000. He’s worked for the district in various leadership posts for 18 years.

Contact Vanessa McCray at: vmccray@theblade.com or 419-724-6065, or on Twitter @vanmccray.