Cedar Rapids schools’ new superintendent could be announced next week

CEDAR RAPIDS — The next superintendent of the Cedar Rapids Community School District is expected to be announced next week, school board President David Tominsky said Wednesday.

Educators and district residents want to see the next superintendent be someone with experience in leading a diverse school district, be good at relationship building and have a proven track record of student achievement, according to survey data collected by Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates — an Illinois firm helping to identify candidates to become the next superintendent.

Candidates are “very much so meeting those expectations,” Tominsky said. “That leadership profile the community helped us put together has been the guiding document in this search.”

Tominsky said the board is not releasing the names of the three finalists — who will go through second interviews with the board this week before an announcement is expected Jan. 26 — and could not say if the candidates are from Iowa or out of state. “Protecting the identity of the candidates is extremely important. It allows us to consider the best possible candidates,” he said.

No one outside the school board has been involved in conducting the interviews — based on the guidance of Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates — to help the district run a “confidential search,” Tominsky said.

“A lot of that community engagement was at the front end,” he said.

Decisions that could impact Iowa schools now being debated by leaders in the Iowa House and Senate has not “steered any candidates away,” Tominsky said. “They’re ready to fight for kids, work for the best interest of kids and be a vocal person and that discussion,” he said.

Tominsky said a start date will be part of the negotiation process when the next superintendent is announced. His expectation would be the next superintendent starts July 1.

The district hosted more than 20 in-person community, parent and student input sessions in November by invitation only. The district emailed invitations to more than 12,000 families and students, 2,500 staff, 24 civic leaders, 48 community partners and 46 community leaders.

Four virtual community input sessions also were held to “gather perceptions” of the district and “determine the desired characteristics of the new superintendent,” according to a district newsletter.

“What seems to be consistent is people hold Cedar Rapids in high regard as far as the work happening here,” Tominsky said. “They’re looking closely at our strategic plan, and seeing something they can come in and continue that work.”

Former Superintendent Noreen Bush, 51, died Oct. 23. She was diagnosed with cancer more than two years ago.

Art Sathoff, the retired superintendent of the Indianola Community School District, was named interim superintendent in November. Sathoff’s contract calls for a $167,000 salary, as well as benefits, through June 30.

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