Superintendent Search Update

With the new year upon us, we are approaching the final stages in the search for the next Superintendent of Ames Public Schools. As a recap, the Ames School Board began the superintendent search earlier this year and contracted with Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates (HYA) to assist with the search process. 

Stakeholder input on the state of the District took place in October 2021 in two ways: a stakeholder survey and focus group meetings. Both channels were organized and facilitated by HYA. The stakeholder input was gathered to assist the Board in determining the primary characteristics desired in the new superintendent. The total participation was 1,242 individuals. This input helped inform a Leadership Profile Report that was later presented to the school board. We have posted an Executive Summary of that leadership profile. The document summarizes the feedback received including the strengths of the District, as well as the challenges and issues facing the District. 

This week, the School Board will continue the process of identifying the next superintendent of Ames Schools. We have identified key January dates below:

• Closed session to prepare for interviews – January 4, 2022
• First round of interviews – January 7 & 8, 2022
• Board meets to identify Finalists – January 10, 2022
• Finalist interviews – January 17-19, 2022
• Closed session to identify preferred candidate – January 21, 2022
• Announcement – TBD
• Superintendent assumes responsibilities – July 1, 2022

The remainder of the search process will be conducted by the Ames School Board in closed sessions. Conducting a confidential search was the recommendation of HYA. 

As a District and school board, we are excited to continue this search process and to be able to announce the next Superintendent of the Ames Community School District later this month.