In searching for a new superintendent, North Pike school trustees selected a firm that offered its services at the last minute and has no track record.
The school board, in a 3-2 decision, voted last week to hire Performance Based Education Consultants, a company that began about two years ago and has never before performed a search for a school superintendent.
Board members Scott Campbell, Brad Fitzgerald and Kevin Matthew voted in favor of the company, while Freddie Deer and Etta Taplin voted to choose the Mississippi School Boards Association to lead the search. The vote is contingent upon the firm and the school board agreeing on a final contract.
The company will be in charge of finding a replacement for Superintendent Dr. Ben Cox, who is leaving Dec. 31 to take over the Brookhaven School District.
On Nov. 7, the board met and discussed two other search teams that were initially thought to be the only contenders, Fortenberry & Haynes and the Mississippi School Boards Association.
On Thursday, however, two representatives from Performance Based Education Consultants gave a presentation that impressed board members.
“I haven’t heard of these guys since last Friday, but I’m like Kevin — I’m impressed by them,” Fitzgerald said.
The company representatives, Steve Montgomery and William Wade, are both former Mississippi school superintendents and had been involved in superintendent searches before the company was founded.
Campbell took a more subtle but still favorable position with the company.
“The fact that they haven’t done a superintendent search under a company name doesn’t bother me,” he said. “I think they’ve been involved with enough searches.”
At the Nov. 7 meeting, however, he seemed concerned that the firm Fortenberry & Haynes hadn’t conducted many superintendent searches in Mississippi.
“We don’t know their track record,” he said then.
Not everyone was impressed with the young company.
“They’re organized, but it’s their first time,” Deer said. “Years of experience does count with me.”
At the Nov. 7 meeting, Fitzgerald expressed concern that choosing the MSBA would lead some to think the applicants were “arranged” since Taplin also is secretary of the MSBA, he said.
In an interview Monday, Taplin said she thought it was not a fair argument to point out her affiliation with the MSBA. She said the MSBA board of directors receives no details about candidates or interviews when superintendents searches are conducted.
“That’s what I was trying to get my board to understand,” she said. “I have no direct contact with that part of the association. None of the board of directors do.”
“I’ve said that over and over again, and I can’t say that enough,” she added.
Taplin said that despite the 3-2 vote, all five board members will support the group.
All five also agreed that choosing the top package of services from the search firm would be the best decision.
The company offers two packages, one for $4,500 and another for $8,500 that includes a more thorough vetting process.
“We want the person who’s going to make our students shine,” Taplin said.
The board meets 1 p.m. Thursday with Performance Based Education Consultants. They plan to establish superintendent candidacy criteria as well as a timeline for the search process.
Dr. Jay Smith, assistant superintendent, will assume interim superintendent duties when Cox leaves North Pike.
