USD 253 Emporia will be narrowing the focus of its Superintendent Search over the next few days.
Following the announcement of USD 253 Superintendent Dr. Allison Anderson Harder’s pending retirement two weeks ago, the district recently sent out a community-wide superintendent survey to gauge input from local stakeholders as to what characteristics they’re looking for in their next leader. According to USD 253 Community Relations Director Lyndel Landgren during an interview with KVOE News Monday, those responses will now be reviewed and refined during a series of focus group sessions Tuesday and Wednesday.
Landgren says it is important to have a wide variation of groups included in the focus sessions as each individual, depending on their role within the district, will interact with the superintendent differently. With that in mind, he says each group will have differing opinions on what the ideal candidate will need to bring to the table.
Once the focus groups have concluded, the USD 253 Board of Education will review the data compiled with the Kansas Association of School Boards as part of their regular meeting Wednesday night. That data will then be taken by KASB to assist in selecting the candidates to interview for the position.
Applications for the Superintendent role will be due by March 19 with interviews scheduled for late March and early April with an announcement expected by April 7.
Anderson Harder announced her retirement on February 12 during the district’s regular board meeting. Anderson Harder has led USD 253 since November of 2020 when she was named the interim superintendent following the sudden resignation of Kevin Case.
Anderson Harder was then named the permanent superintendent in February of 2021, her latest administrative role as part of a 28-year-career with the district which has also included time as principal of Walnut Elementary and the district’s director of special services for the Flint Hills Special Education Cooperative along with other various leadership roles throughout.
Anderson Harder’s final day will be June 30.
