The Board of Education has taken the first step in the process of replacing Superintendent Deborah Low by hiring Illinois-based Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates (HYA), the nation’s largest education executive search firm.
Board chairman Austin Drukker said it cost around $20,000 to $25,000 to hire the firm that merged with Education Consultants and Research Associates Group in 2010.
“We weren’t really looking at the cost of it,” he said. “We wanted to pick the best one and that’s what we ended up with.”
The company represents more than 100 public schools in the northeast region and more than 1,000 public school districts across the country.
Its northeast office is in Jersey City, N.J.
“Recruiting and retaining strong leaders is paramount to any organization’s success,” the company’s website reads. “HYA’s executive search division assists organizations by ensuring that the right executives are in place to realize their vision.”
The company uses a five-phase search process that includes: planning session and criteria development; recruitment; interview and selection; appointment and post-appointment; and communication with the board.
The application for the open superintendent position in Ridgefield had not been posted on the company’s website as of Tuesday, Feb. 11.
The Board of Education expects to select a candidate sometime in May.