Superintendent Search

January 13, 2025 Update: Survey Now Open
January 7, 2025 Update: Board Launches Nationwide Superintendent Search

January 13, 2025 Update: Survey Now Open

January 13, 2025

The Board of Education welcomes your input as we begin our search for a new superintendent for the Francis Howell School District. We have partnered with a professional executive search firm, School Exec Connect, who will use the information gathered from Focus Groups, Open Forums, and the Superintendent Search Survey to create a profile of our next instructional leader for the district.

Take the FHSD Superintendent Search Survey

All responses are anonymous, confidential and are set up to go directly to the School Exec Connect search consultants. The survey results will be reported on the District website after all of the necessary information has been analyzed.

We request that each person responds only once to this survey. The survey is designed to allow only one response per device. The survey will be available beginning on January 13 and run through January 20. Thank you for your effort in helping our Board of Education with this very important task.

Sincerely,
Board of Education

January 7, 2025 Update: Board Launches Nationwide Superintendent Search

January 7, 2025

Dear District Staff and Community Members:

The Francis Howell School District Board of Education has begun the search process for a new superintendent. We have selected SCHOOL EXEC CONNECT, an educational search firm, to assist us in this process.

We are interested in receiving your input about the new superintendent. We would appreciate it if you would take about five minutes to fill out an online survey that will be available from January 13-20, 2025. Please check the District website on or after January 13, 2025 for the survey link.

In addition to the survey, if you would like to provide input on the district’s strengths, the district’s challenges, and the characteristics the next superintendent should possess, the SCHOOL EXEC CONNECT consultants invite you to attend one of the open forums listed below.

Open Forum for Francis Howell Staff Members
- Tuesday, January 21, 2025; 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
- Location: Board Rooms 1D/E, 801 Corporate Centre Drive
  O’Fallon, MO 63368
Open Forum for Francis Howell Community Members
- Tuesday, January 21, 2025 – 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
- Location: Board Rooms 1D/E, 801 Corporate Centre Drive
  O’Fallon, MO 63368

Findings from the survey, the open forums, and several focus group conversations will be used to develop a New Superintendent Profile that will be reported to the Board on January 27, 2025.
As we move forward, our most important consideration is securing the strongest candidate pool and ultimately the best person to lead our District. To that end, the Board of Education has decided to conduct a confidential search and only the final candidate’s name will be announced publicly.

The Board of Education looks forward to your support and assistance with this very important undertaking. Please feel free to contact the consultants assisting us if you have any questions or comments regarding the search:

We look forward to your input as we search for a new superintendent to lead the Francis Howell School District.

Sincerely,
Mr. Adam Bertrand
President, Board of Education
Francis Howell School District

Superintendent Search Timeline

The Board reserves the right to change the timeline.

December 23, 2024: Board selects SchoolExecConnect as search firm
January 2, 2025: Consultants Facilitate Planning Meeting with Board of Education
January 6, 2025: Superintendent Position Posted (apply for the position through the SchoolExecConnect website)
January 6 - February 14, 2025: Consultants Advertise the Position, Recruit Candidates, Accept and Screen Applications
January 13 - 20, 2025: Community Engagement: Candidate Profile Survey Open
January 21 - 22, 2025: Community Engagement: Consultants Facilitate Focus Groups and Open Forums with Staff and Community Members
January 27, 2025: Consultants Present New Superintendent Profile to the Board (in person or online)
By February 20, 2025: Consultants Interview and Vet Promising Candidates
February 20, 2025: Consultants Present Slate of 5-7 Recommended Candidates to the Board, Interviewing Workshop
February 26 - 27, 2025: Board Conducts Initial Interviews of 5-7 Candidates
March 1, 2, 3 or 4, 2025: Board Conducts Second Interviews of 3 Finalists over a 3-day period or on a single day/night
Early March 2025: Board Selects their Top Choice and May Choose to Conduct a Site Visit or conduct reference calls. Board Negotiates Contract with Selected Candidate.
By mid-late March 2025: Board Takes Formal Action on the New Superintendent’s Contract
July 1, 2025: New Superintendent Assumes Duties

Additional Information

For additional information, prospective applicants may visit the SCHOOL EXEC CONNECT website.

Provide Input

If you are interested in providing input about the next superintendent, please complete the Superintendent Search Survey.