Robbie Ward / The Meridian StarThe Lauderdale County School Board meets with representatives from the Mississippi School Boards Association on Thursday. The MSBA is one of two companies interested in helping guide the district through the process of appointing a school superintendent.

 The Lauderdale County School Board plans to decide next week which organization will lead the search for its next school superintendent.

Board members heard Thursday from two groups – Performance Based Education Company and the Mississippi School Boards Association – interested in helping guide the district through the process of appointing a school superintendent.

Historically, county superintendents of education were elected in Mississippi, but a state law was passed in 2016 making the position an appointed office.  

Superintendent Randy Hodges plans to retire in June, ending more than four decades in public education. The new superintendent will begin July 1.

School Board president Barbara Jones said she would like the process of selecting the next school leader for the district of 6,400 students to end by early June.

“The sooner we can get started with this, the better it’s going to be,” Jones said during the meeting Thursday.

Proposals for the two companies interested in leading the search involved different options, from assisting the school board on a limited basis to leading the complete search.

Performance Based Education Company will charge $9,000 to lead the search, along with a maximum of $4,500 in expenses related to the search. The Mississippi School Boards Association asked for $9,500 with expenses covered.

Both groups emphasized their connections to school superintendents and qualified candidates throughout the state and beyond.

A key difference between the two, however, relates to experience. The Performance  Based Education Company has conducted two to three searches for school districts for about four years, while the Mississippi School Boards Association has completed 79 searches. 

The process to hire a new superintendent will likely involve separate meetings with school administrators, teachers, and the community. Questions about the position will also include whether to raise the superintendent’s salary, which is currently set at $120,439 a year.