Cedar Rapids school board to collect public input on superintendent search

CEDAR RAPIDS - The Cedar Rapids Community School District has set times for two public input sessions next week on its superintendent search.

The forums will be held Jan. 28 at the district's Educational Leadership and Support Center, 2500 Edgewood Road NW, and Jan. 29 at the African American Museum, 55 12th Ave. SE.

Both are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. and expected to last about 90 minutes.

The public forums are one of the first steps in the board's search for a new superintendent, for which it set a timeline last week.

Current superintendent David Benson announced his retirement last month. He will retire June 30.

The forums will be led by Bill Attea, a consultant with Chicago-based HYA Executive Search, the search firm the school board has used in each of its last three superintendent searches.

The district also is conducting an online survey to collect input on the search. The survey can be found on the district's website, www.cr.k12.ia.us.

The board decided last week to conduct a confidential search, allowing candidates not to disclose the fact of their application to their current employers. Attea also will meet with board members, administrators, teachers, support staff and students next week.

The board hopes to have a new superintendent in place by July 1.