As Eanes ISD continues its search for a new superintendent, the district voted to adopt a leadership profile for the potential new leader during its special meeting Sept. 30.

Looking back

Former Superintendent Jeff Arnett announced his retirement June 16, and Tom Trigg was named interim superintendent July 24.

The board later selected consulting firm JG Consulting to assist in the superintendent search at its Aug. 5 board meeting.

The framework


According to JG Consulting president and CEO James Guerra, between Aug. 21 and Sept. 26, the firm interviewed board members and received 578 anonymous community survey responses.

Utilizing this feedback, the leadership profile states that a "successful candidate" will:
  • Demonstrate forward-thinking vision and confident decision-making with the courage to make difficult decisions in the best interest of students
  • Champion high-quality education for all students and embrace innovative practices
  • Place students at the heart of every decision
  • Value teachers and staff as the district's greatest asset
  • Be visible and approachable in schools and the community
  • Work in partnership with the board of trustees and engage parents, businesses and community partners
  • Bring strong financial stewardship and strategic planning skills
  • Remain steady and solution-oriented in the face of challenges or changing circumstances
  • Be invested in the EISD community
The district considers having a 90-day or 120-day entry plan for the new superintendent as part of their transition plan a best practice, Guerra said.

Next steps

The board could name a finalist at either its Nov. 11 or Nov. 18 meeting. Until then, the next steps in the search include:
  • Oct. 1-Oct. 24: application period
  • Oct. 28: candidate reviews
  • Nov. 3 and 5: candidate interviews
  • Nov. 10 and 11: final round of interviews
Once a finalist is named, state law requires the board observe a 21-day waiting period before officially hiring.


Additional language will be added in the interview process that the finalist will be committed to EISD in December in order to "hit the ground running" after winter break, board president Kim McMath said.

"Knowing that we're in the middle of a school year, knowing that a superintendent candidate is having to make decisions if they are currently employed ... I don't want to miss out on any candidate thinking that he or she would have to leave before the beginning of winter break," McMath said. "That's our desire, but in one trustees opinion, as long as we have a superintendent and we are flexible in working on a transition [plan] and we have that person in place at the beginning of the spring semester, then we've achieved our goal."