Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - After Dr. Rob Watson resigned to take another education position in Helena last June, Russ Lodge stepped in as interim superintendent, and now the public is invited to take part in choosing a permanent replacement.

MCPS Hires a Consultant Firm for the Search

KGVO News spoke to MCPS Communications Specialist Tyler Christensen who said the school board has hired a consultant firm to conduct a national search for a new superintendent.

“Our school board engaged the assistance of a consultant, McPherson and Jacobson LLC at a previous board meeting and they are helping us conduct the search for a new district superintendent,” said Christensen. “As part of that process, we're gathering important information from Missoula County residents to help us with the selection of Superintendent candidates for the board to then interview.”

MCPS wants someone who will Connect to the Whole Community

Christensen said the board is seeking someone who will not just connect to the school district, but to the entire community.

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“That position comes with a degree of experience and education and we're going to be looking for somebody who's a good fit with our community, and that's where the community involvement comes in,” she said.  That is so members of our community can share what their priorities are for the sort of qualities they're looking for in the next superintendent.”

The First Public Meeting is Monday at 5:30 p.m.

Christensen said the first public meeting will be on Monday, November 28 at Sentinel High School to find out more about the superintendent search and receive initial public input.

“We're holding stakeholder meetings next week,” she said. “We have invited the community to a stakeholder meeting on Monday, that's November 28, at 5:30 p.m. and that will be at Sentinel High School. This will be a stakeholder information gathering session for the community, and they'll also be meeting with a member of the consultant firm.”

Christensen provided a timeline for the selection of a new MCPS superintendent.

“The goal is to have the reference checks and initial interviews with the consultants completed by the first week of January, and then they would be able to present candidates to the Board of Trustees by the end of January,” she said. “Trustees would then interview the candidates and then hopefully announce a selection in February for a start date for the new superintendent in July.”

KGVO asked about the annual salary and benefits for the new superintendent, but that information was not available at the time of the interview, however, this information was published on the website Salary.com.

The average School Superintendent salary in Missoula is $141,626 as of October 27, 2022, but the range typically falls between $115,686 and $170,887. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, and the number of years the individual has spent in their profession.’

Get details on the search for the new MCPS superintendent here.

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