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During a special-called meeting on August 12, 2024, the EMS ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç Board of Trustees unanimously approved the hiring of Thompson & Horton, LLP, to assist in conducting a search for the district’s next superintendent of schools. The decision followed the Board’s extensive review of the firm’s qualifications and processes as well as a formal presentation regarding their services.

“Thompson & Horton bring a wealth of experience and proven track record of success, both qualities we believe are essential in this vital process,” said Dr. Marilyn Tolbert, EMS ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç Board President. “We look forward to working closely with their team to find a leader who reflects the priorities of the district and expectations of our community.”

Over the fall 2024 semester, Thompson and Horton will assist the Board with advertising and recruiting for the superintendent position, screening applicant qualifications, coordinating interviews, consulting with the Board, and supporting all other aspects of the search process. The fee for these professional services is $24,000 plus travel and expenses.

A key component of their services will be facilitating community engagement through focus groups and community survey opportunities, and providing information analysis to Trustees for consideration during interviews.

“It is important to us as a Board that the process includes opportunities for our community to have a voice in building a profile of the characteristics, qualities, and leadership focus we desire in our next superintendent,” Tolbert said. “Thompson & Horton’s process ensures that constituents and opinion leaders have an opportunity to give input that will help shape the future of our district.”

The search consultants presented their plan and timeline during the public reports at the monthly Board of Trustees meeting on August 26. They will continue to provide periodic reports to the Board regarding the status of the search and will be in regular contact with the Board President throughout the entire process.

One of the primary functions of the EMS ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç Board of Trustees is to oversee the employment of the Superintendent of Schools. The search for a new superintendent is an extensive process, and many Boards will engage the services of a search firm to assist with the process. The EMS ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç Board has selected the firm of Thompson & Horton, LLP, to assist in the search for the next superintendent of schools. This firm has assisted school district across Texas with executive searches and recruitment of school superintendents since 1999. Their process includes:

• Extensive Search and Recruitment
  The consultants will actively solicit and contact qualified individuals and encourage them to apply. They will advertise the position through publications and on websites of school administrator professional organizations. The firm will rely on its extensive network of trusted professional to solicit outstanding candidates for the Board to consider.
  
  
• Community Engagement
  The EMS ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç Board of Trustees believes input from the community is vital in the search for the next superintendent. The firm, in collaboration with the Board, will conduct focus groups including students, parents, teachers, support staff, administrators, and community members. While there are limited spots on each focus group, all community members will have the opportunity to respond to the same questions through a community survey.
  
  
• Candidate Review, Interviews and Selection
  Following the application deadline, the firm's consultants will meet with the Board of Trustees to review candidate applications and credentials. The firm also will assist with drafting sample questions that the Board can choose to use during the interview process. Consultants also will work with the Board to complete a minimum of two rounds of in-person interviews, and any additional meetings, visits, reference checks and contract negotiations. Due to privacy considerations, only the name of the finalist will be released publicly in accordance with state law.
  
  
• Finalist Period
  Once a finalist is named, state law requires a 21-day wait period before the individual can begin working. This period is to allow for finalizing contract details and preparing a transition plan.

The EMS ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç Board of Trustees believes input from the community is vital in the search for the next superintendent. As part of this process, the consultant firm conducted focus groups involving students, parents, teachers, support staff, administrators, and community members. These members were nominated by members of the Board and district administration as individuals who represent a wide range of roles and perspectives across the community. The focus groups met on October 2 in small groups to allow all members to participate, then the search firm presented an overview of the discussions in a special-called Board meeting that evening. A video recording of the public meeting is available .

While each focus group had limited spots, all community members were invited and encouraged to respond to the same questions discussed in the focus groups through an online community survey, which was open to responses from October 2-9. The survey was anonymous and all responses have been read, reviewed, and analyzed by the district's third-party survey administrator and provided to the Board for consideration.

The purpose of these opportunities is to provide insight to the Board into the community's desires and expectations for the next superintendent. The following questions were discussed in the focus groups and asked on the survey:

• What are the strengths of the District and the broader community?
• What are the major challenges facing the District both short-term and long-term.
• What are the desired professional characteristics of the superintendent of schools?
• What are the desired personal characteristics of the superintendent of schools?

Key priorities identified by survey-takers include:

• Ability to manage change, including growth and changing demographics
• Student-centered, and advocate for teachers and public education
• Communication, transparency, visibility, accessibility and engagement
• Experience in education, including both classroom and administrative roles
• Knowledge of budgets and school finance, sense of fiscal responsibility
• High expectations and accountability, with fairness, inclusivity, integrity and compassion

The survey summary report provided to Trustees is available here for public review.

The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District is located in the northwest corner of Tarrant County, Texas, and includes 73 square miles of residential, commercial/industrial, and undeveloped property in Saginaw, Blue Mound, north Fort Worth, unincorporated Tarrant County, and a portion of Newark. Serving more than 23,400 students, the district consists of 18 elementary schools, six middle schools, four high schools, an accelerated high school, an alternative learning center, the Hollenstein Career and Technology Center, and the Weldon Hafley Development Center for young learners. One of the fastest-growing public school districts in north Texas, EMS ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç has a long history of excellence grounded in a proud past with a dynamic focus on the future.

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Application Deadline: October 10, 2024

Candidates interested in applying for the Superintendent of Schools position in ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç are asked to please send a current resume and letter of interest to the following:

Thompson & Horton LLP
Phoenix Tower, Suite 2000
3200 Southwest Freeway
Houston, Texas 77027

For questions, please visit .