KISD search is on for newsuperintendent
Consultants expect to see at least 30 applications for top administrative post
Filing ahead of an April 10 deadline, about 15 candidates so far are vying to replace retiring Katy ISD Superintendent Alton Frailey.
“I’d say of the searches that are ongoing right now in Tex- as, this is a pretty high-profile search,” said search consultant Mike Moses, who was the state’s education commissioner from 1995-99.
He is working with David Thompson, an attorney at Thompson and Horton LLP, to conduct the search, which they say will include an emphasis on diversity.
“You see a lot more diversity in Texas today than you might have 20 years ago,” Thompson said. “We look for people from different backgrounds.”
Candidates from Texas, however, will get special consideration because they would be familiar with the state’s education system, the consul- tants said.
Katy ISD’s reputation for academics and sports success provides name recognition, Moses said. Katy is one of several local districts replacing top administrators this year, including Houston and Klein Independent School districts.
The consultants expect 15 to 30 more candidates to join the
list. Frailey, who has been superintendent since 2007, plans to retire at the end of August. The scheduled start date for the next superintendent is Aug. 1.
Moses and Thompson have sent 170 invitation letters to potential candidates throughout the nation and have used education organizations to spread the word.
Katy trustees have also begun suggesting candidates, Thompson said.
Focus groups including parents, local business partners and area leaders recently met with the consultants to provide input. The district released a survey last week to collect feed back from the public.
On April 26, the consultants will discuss applicants with trustees. Early May will mark the first round of interviews, and the tentative finalist announcement could arrive May 31. After a finalist is named, 21 days are required by law before a contract is signed.
“The board is probably going to spend 30 hours or more in actual interviews, reviewing materials, talking together — really honing in on their expectations,” Thompson said.
“The i nterview process causes each of the board members to stop and think, ‘What do we really want for our school district?’ ” Moses said. “That process is a learning process, not just for the candidates, but a learning process for the board.”
The district will release the name of its finalists. More than one finalist could be named.
Frailey will not be involved in the search, the consultants said.
Community interest in the process is keen, they added.
“Among the board, the parents we’ve talked to, the businesspeople, the teachers, principals — there is nobody that is satisfied, nobody saying that we don’t have room to improve,” Moses said. “They’re saying we want somebody that’s going to help us out in how we get better.” sebastian.herrera@chron.com twitter.com/SebasAHerrera