Gillett superintendent search to start soon

GILLETT — The search for a new superintendent of schools got off to a rocky start Dec. 18 when one of the consultants hoping to help the Gillett School District find a new leader hit a deer on the way to the meeting.

The consultant for the Wisconsin Association of School Boards was shaken up but uninjured, Superintendent Todd Carlson said. The school board likely will schedule a special meeting to hear WASB’s pitch.

In the meantime, board members did get a briefing from David Honish, executive director of Cooperative Educational Service Agency 8, the other agency vying for the contract to guide the search for Carlson’s successor.

Carlson announced last month that he plans to retire at the end of June.

“It’s probably good to be out there as early as you can, because you want to get the best candidate pool you can,” Honish said, noting that the nearby Pulaski School District is also beginning a superintendent search, and some candidates are likely to apply to both districts.

From past experience, Honish said to expect 20-25 candidates, some of whom have no experience as a superintendent or don’t yet have the required license.

“Not having experience isn’t the worst thing in the world, because everybody’s got to start somewhere, and we also arrange mentors for those new folks,” Honish said. “I think Todd’s been a mentor for some of those new folks in our region, and it’s worked out well.”

If chosen to assist with the search, the CESA 8 team would sit down with the board, identify the skills and other criteria they would like to see in a new superintendent and work from there, Honish said.

He presented a timeline that would fit the board’s goal of choosing the new superintendent before July 1 to enable a smooth transition.

The board hopes to reschedule with WASB before their regular January meeting so that a choice can be made at that Jan. 16 session, Carlson said after Honish’s presentation.

Prior to becoming Gillett’s superintendent in 2013, Carlson was superintendent for the Shawano School District. He also served for five years as superintendent in the Suring School District.