In what was called a disappointing turnout by the search firm hired to help Snyder ISD hire a new superintendent, some 16 citizens showed up to give input on what is expected of the new school leader by developing a profile.
And the majority of those in attendance were either current or former employees of the district or had some connection to the district.
The meeting was led by Ronnie Kincaid of the Region 14 Service Center in Abilene.
“It’s a shame that we have only this many here,” Kincaid said. “But please don’t put that in the paper.”
He added that low attendance was not uncommon in such meetings.
Kincaid and Susan Graham, also of the service center, had met earlier with members of the district staff and he said what he gathered, was the staff wanted continuity in the superintendent’s hiring.
“What they said, was that they would like to have someone who is going to stick around for awhile,” Kincaid said.
And that was also reflected in some comments from the audience.
“Is there a way as a district, to look for someone for the long term, and not use Snyder as a stepping stone,” Bill Crist asked.
“Is that a reality, asking someone to come to Snyder to stay,” questioned Kincaid. “Will the district have the support of the community to make the financial commitment (to keep someone here).”
Kincaid offered an example to the audience.
“Say you hire a Jim Dandy superintendent, would you pay an extra $20,000 per year to him or her,” he said. “You pay someone $120,000. In a couple of years, would the district be willing to pay $150,000?”
“Why would someone move here from another district,” asked Jason West.
Kincaid replied that Snyder is a Class 4A school district and an applicant might want to move up for a career move, and the district has a history of high property values. He also said that applicants would be aware of the possible problems the district is facing in cuts if Additional State Aid for Tax Reduction is no longer available.
“People looking at Snyder will look at this,” Kincaid said, adding the job should attract some 40 applicants. “And they’ll probably know more about this district than we do about them.”
The current schedule calls for the job to be posted in early January and be open for a month.
“Isn’t it out there that Snyder needs a superintendent,” asked Jamie Hall, who taught in the district for 33 years.
“Right now, it’s officially not open,” Kincaid said.
The audience also said they would like to see someone hired who would be visible in the community.
“I don’t think it would be a bad idea for the superintendent to get out of the (administration) building and go to campuses and learn teacher’s names,” Hall said.
“We need someone who is approachable,” West said.
“I heard today that being a part of the community is paramount,” Kincaid said.
“The whole family needs to live here. The family needs to be vested,” Hall said.
“And the same thing for our teachers,” Jeff Knowles said. “You see parents drop kids off to a teacher whose kids go to another school (district).”
“I’d like to see a superintendent with 10 or 15 years experience in the classroom” Steve Kruger said. “They need to know what it’s like in the trenches.”
Kincaid said the hiring could take up to three months.
“It could be shorter if the board knows who they want, post the opening for 10 days and then wait 21 days to finalize the contract. It could also be shorter if someone is moved up from the inside,” Kincaid said, adding that as far as he knew, the search is still “wide open.”
The profile survey is still on the Snyder ISD website and as of Tuesday night, 247 responses have been received. It is also posted in Spanish and the survey is also available at the administration building in English and Spanish.
The link is also available on the Snyder Daily News Facebook page.
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