LINN  — The Missouri Association of Rural Education (MARE) has been contracted by Linn R-2 to assist with their search for a new superintendent after the board on Dec. 14 unanimously accepted Superintendent Dena Smith’s retirement, effective at the end 2021-22 school year.

“While I still have another year left on my contract, I feel it is time to focus on my family,” Smith wrote in her letter to the board. “I am looking forward to spending more time with my family and being a full-time Mimi. Thank you for the opportunity to work for this district. We have great faculty, staff and students and I wish them nothing but the best.”

“With Dena retiring, we find ourselves in a position of having to hire a new superintendent for the next school year,” School Board President Dennis Gravedoni said. “In the past, when (Superintendent Shawn Poyser) left, we hired the MARE superintendent search program and I’m recommending that we hire them again.”

Gravedoni introduced Dr. Paul Ricker of MARE who then addressed the board.

“I’m going to hit the high points and answer any questions you have,” said Dr. Ricker. “You’ll have to be making some decisions before we get started.”

Dr. Ricker told the board he would like to talk about a timeline and salary range.

“I’m going to make a lot of recommendations and a lot of suggestions and you can take them all or take none of them, but this will be your search and those are the kinds of things that I need to know before we get out there and get it advertised,” said Dr. Ricker. 

Dr. Ricker noted that he has facilitated between 25 and 30 searches for MARE. This search process includes locating applicants, checking their references, and then screening the finalists alongside the board.

He added that the exact number of potential applicants can’t be known at this time, and cited factors such as location, finances, lifestyle, salary, and reputation of the district as all having an effect on the number.

“I can’t stand up here and say if you go with MARE and let Paul Ricker work it you’re going to have X number of applicants,” said Dr. Ricker. “It doesn’t work that way. The fewest I’ve ever had was five and the most I’ve ever had was 26.” 

He gave brochures to board members outlining the steps that would be taken during his search for a superintendent.

“All the steps are in there and I’m going to highlight them and read what needs to be done,” he said. “If you see something in there that’s questionable, ask me and if I can justify it I certainly will.” 

Dr. Ricker told the board that advertising includes mailers, social media postings, email blasts, and a posting on the MARE website will begin with making a vacancy notice.

“This notice is the first thing that lets people know there is a vacancy,” said Dr. Ricker. “It’s very important.”

Recruitment involves receiving information from the board on the criteria they are looking for while also laying out the strengths and challenges the board feels encompasses the district. Dr. Ricker noted that board members will also need to include the compensation package for this step of the process.

“I recommend a range because if you get somebody that maybe is new to the position and so forth it gives the board a little latitude,” said Dr. Ricker.

During the screening process, Dr. Ricker will present all qualified applicants to the board.

“Here’s where the rubber really meets the road,” he said. “This takes a long time and it needs to take a long time. That would be done technically with you guys and ladies at a screening meeting.”

Dr. Ricker said that when they set the deadline for applications, board members will need to schedule a screening meeting the following Tuesday or Wednesday. During this closed meeting, Dr. Ricker will meet with the board to decide which applicants they would like to have an interview with.

“I’ll receive and compile all the applications,” he said. “I’ll conduct all the reference checks possible. I usually call as many unlisted references as I do listed references. I’ll need to know how their district is doing, how their kids are doing, and a lot of times I’ll know the neighboring superintendent who knows what’s happening next door.”

Once the selection process begins, all information is turned over to the board.

“You will see all the applications and they become your property. When I leave here after the screening meeting … after you’ve made your decision, I’ll leave you all the applications and all the stuff that I have,” said Dr. Ricker.

These services offered by MARE do come with a cost of $4,000. However, this price is to cover the expenses of the organization. This is an all-inclusive price with no additional charges such as postage, mileage, or secretarial fees at the end.

“You guys are the stewards of your finances,” Dr. Ricker explained. “We don’t do this as a source of revenue. We do this as a service to our members and our goal is to break even.”  

Dr. Ricker suggested the board keep the upcoming holiday break in mind when considering their search for a new superintendent and mentioned most districts would likely not have anyone on site.  

“So, I’m guessing your recommendation is to get this on the streets as fast as possible?” board member Dr. Shawn Strong asked.

“With the Christmas break, what I’d probably do is get the vacancy notice completed and I’d get it out there,” said Dr. Ricker. “That thing can sit out there over Christmas break.”

Dr. Strong had concerns about other competing schools of comparable size in the central district that were working with MARE to find staff. “We’re not going to be competing with them or we’re not going to lose one of (the applicants) to one of those districts as long as we keep moving?” Dr. Strong asked. 

“I can’t say definitely not,” replied Dr. Ricker. “Probably not.”

Board Treasurer Hannah Swann asked if MARE had done a superintendent search for the district before and how long the district had been a member of MARE.

Gravedoni said that the district had been a member of MARE for eight years and had used their service when Poyser left. 

After a vote of 6-1, with Swann opposed to the measure, MARE was hired to conduct a superintendent search.

The vacancy announcement later made by MARE showed an application deadline of Jan. 28, 2022, with the contract of employment beginning on July 1, 2022. It was also noted in the vacancy announcement the salary would be commensurate with qualifications and experience with a range of $90,000 - $115,000 per year.