By Richard Meek
Contributing Writer

RESERVE – After several months of inactivity, the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board is expected to ramp up its search for a new superintendent in the next several weeks.

Board member Albert Burl recently questioned the progress of the search, noting the board had voted earlier this year to hire a search firm to assist in the process of finding a replacement for Courtney Millet, who resigned effective July 12.

Board President Patrick Sanders said the administration was in the process of finalizing a request for proposals for search firms so it can be advertised.

“Basically it hasn’t happened,” Sanders said. “At this point, it’s a question of sending our request for proposals for the superintendent. (The administration) is in that process now to begin the search.”

Board members agreed the window is rapidly closing to have a person in place by July 1, which is the beginning of the fiscal year for school systems. Board member Gerald Keller said the RFPs must be advertised, and then the firm chosen must be allowed time to advertise and screen the applicants.

“Once you do that the company has to have time, and it will be March or April to shut if off and come with a recommendation on candidates,” Keller said.

Without identifying any one firm, Keller said there are “four major companies out there that will do it.”

Keller has worked for one of those companies, McPherson and Jacobson, based in Omaha, Neb., in the past. In 2011 he and Loe Dunn, also of McPherson, consulted with the Bogalusa City Schools system in its search for a superintendent.

McPherson charged the system $8,500 plus expenses, with the final total coming in at $10,000.

Keller and Dunn recommended three candidates, two from neighboring school districts and one from a small school district in Missouri. Ultimately, Louise Smith of the neighboring Poplarville, Miss., district was hired but lasted less than one year on the job.

The expense of utilizing a consulting firm has St. John School Board member Keith Jones concerned. When hiring Millet — who was already employed within the district — in 2008 the cost was $25,000.

“(Likely) it will be a local person (hired), so why spend $40,000 or $50,000?” Jones said. “I just want to go on record.”

Millet, who also served as a principal in the St. John school system, was superintendent a little more than four years. She left for a position at St. Charles Catholic High School.

Hebert Smith has been serving as interim superintendent since July.

The School Board held a special meeting Tuesday to further address the issue. Look for more in Saturday’s edition of L’Observateur.