This week the Plano school board narrowed down the firms its considering for help with the superintendent search.
The board plans to interview and select a firm at its Nov. 4 meeting. Plano is looking for a new schools leader as Superintendent Richard Matkin is set to retire effective Jan. 31.
The three firms in consideration are:
- PROACT Search. New to the Illinois firm as a senior vice president is Michael Hinojosa, who was previously Dallas’ superintendent. He joined PROACT in May. The firm also helped find his replacement in Dallas, Mike Miles. But in 2013, both San Antonio and Atlanta fired PROACT during their searches. San Antonio did so after its lone finalist withdrew. Atlanta officials were concerned the firm wouldn’t be able to focus on that trouble district enough to find a top tier candidate. Atlanta ended up hiring two firms to do the work.
- Ray and Associates. The Iowa-based firm is one of the largest in the nation and is currently working with the Fort Worth and Austin school districts in their search for new superintendents.
- Thompson & Horton. The Houston-based school law firm helped Plano conduct its superintendent search in 2011. The firm – which includes consultant Mike Moses, another former Dallas superintendent as well as former Texas education commissioner – recently helped McKinney and Allen with searches under the name School Executives Consulting Inc.
Other firms that submitted information to the board but were not selected for an interview were:
- -Abernathy, Roeder, Boyd & Joplin, P.C. The McKinney-based firm works with various local school districts and municipalities on routine business.
- McPherson & Jacobson. The firm based in Omaha, Nebraska, noted it has conducted more than 540 superintendent searches in 36 states and Washington, D.C. However, the references sent to trustees did not note any Texas experience.
- -Executive Search Services. This is part of the Texas Association of School Boards. Consultants include former Texas education commissioner Jim Nelson. The service has typically aided districts with much smaller enrollments.