Schools

Falls School Board Close to Identifying New Superintendent

Seven preliminary candidates were interviewed this week, and three finalists will be determined by next week.

The Menomonee Falls School Board will narrow the choices for the next superintendent to three finalists by next week.

The School Board met in closed session Tuesday, and will meet again in closed session from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to interview seven potential candidates. By next week, the board will have identified its three finalists to replace Dr. Keith Marty.

School Board President Kathy Shurilla said the board will identify their final choice after April 15, and will announce the new superintendent at the May 9 School Board meeting.

Find out what's happening in Menomonee Fallswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Marty announced in January that he would be leaving Menomonee Falls to pursue a new opportunity in suburban St. Louis. Marty signed a three-year contract with a starting salary of $220,000 per year with the Parkway School District, which is a district of about 17,500 students.

The process to find Marty’s replacement began in February, and the School Board is close to identifying the new leader of the district.

Find out what's happening in Menomonee Fallswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The School Board hired a third party search firm, School Exec Connect, to advertise for the open position and screen applicants. The firm conducted eight focus groups in the community and conducted an online survey to find ideal candidates.

The district received 29 applications for Marty’s position. Of those, 15 are superintendents in other districts; three are assistant superintendents; seven are principals; two are business consultants or self-employed; and two are unemployed.

Most of the applicants, 20, were from Wisconsin with others scattering throughout the Midwest. One applicant was from New Mexico. And of the 29 who applied, 23 applicants were males.

From the group of 29, the School Board gleaned seven candidates to conduct preliminary interviews with. This week board members spent about an hour interviewing each candidate. Board President Kathy Shurilla provided some examples of questions the board asked:

  • Describe your leadership style:  how you make decisions, resolve conflicts, and move the Menomonee Falls School District forward.
  • Describe your understanding of 21st Century Skills.  How can they best be embedded within the curriculum? 
  • How do you hold teachers and administrators accountable?  How do you determine if they are effective?
  • How do you reach out to those community members without children in our schools
  • How would you implement the Strategic Plan given the budget constraints that now face us?

“Hiring the superintendent is the number one job of the school board,” Shurilla said.  “We are very serious about getting it right.”

Next week, the board will identify three final candidates and put each through a series of extensive interviews. Each will answer questions presented from three interview teams, and each will give an oral presentation on a topic of their choice.

“We want to know how they organize their thoughts and what their public speaking skills are like,” Shurilla said.

But the process isn’t over after that. Each of the three finalists will have dinner with the board as a final test.

“We want to see these people when they are under pressure and when they are relaxed,” Shurilla said.

Marty served the district for 22 years, 12 years as the Assistant Superintendent and 10 years as superintendent. He will finish his career in Menomonee Falls in June. Check Menomonee Falls Patch next week for updates regarding the new superintendent. 


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