As the Ellsworth-Kanopolis-Geneseo USD 327 school board begins its search for a replacement for Superintendent Dale Brungardt, they will rely on Gary Sechrist with the Kansas Association of School Boards to work with district staff as well as patrons to come up with a list of characteristics they would like to see in a superintendent.

Brungardt, who has been superintendent at Ellsworth since 2015, submitted his resignation Nov. 9. It is effective at the end of the school year when he will become director of finance for the Kansas Department of Education in Topeka.

Sechrist met with school board members Friday in a special meeting at Citizens State Bank & Trust to go over a timeframe and what to expect during the search.

Anyone applying for a superintendent position must already have a district level license; KASB will make sure all candidates have that license. Sechrist said the process of selecting a superintendent typically takes eight weeks from start to finish. The position will be posted on the KASB website Monday, Nov. 16. It will also be posted with universities and colleges as well as nationally.

Sechrist recommended using focus groups consisting of USD 327 employees as well as community members. He will moderate meetings Dec. 9 with the various focus groups to find out what the district seeks in a superintendent. More information on those meetings will be available as they are set up by the district office.

A special board meeting will also be Dec. 9 so Sechrist can share the information from the focus groups earlier that day. The meeting is planned for 6 p.m. At that time, he will also provide the board guidance on interview questions to ask as well as information on salary ranges from other districts the same size.

Because of the coronavirus, Brungardt will touch base with Ellsworth County Health Department administrator Kerianne Ehrlich regarding the 20- person gathering limit even though the district is exempt from that number.

For those that aren’t involved in the focus groups or don’t want to attend a face-to-face meeting, an online community survey will be placed on the district website, www.usd327.org for all patrons and staff to have input.

Candidate applications will be received and reviewed by KASB. A screening committee consisting of other superintendents will review the applications Jan. 21, 2021. Sechrist will contact those candidates the superintendents recommended to find out if they are seriously interested in the position and if chosen, would they be moving into the district. If they are, those applications then will be given to the board that evening during a special meeting. From there, board president David Hand will contact each candidate to set up interviews.

The board last used KASB for a superintendent search in 2007. More recently, superintendents were hired in 2011 without a search and in 2015 with an internal search. The cost to the district is $4,000 plus mileage.

Notes:

• KMS classified can meet during the KMS Faculty meeting

• Classified staff at EES and EJSH can meet at either the 8:05 a.m. or 1 p.m. meetings.

• A community survey will be conducted.