Superintendent Jim Cain[/caption]

The application deadline is upcoming for Klein ISD superintendent candidates to replace Jim Cain, who steps down at the end of the school year after his 12th year in the role and more than three decades serving the district.

Houston-based law firm Thompson and Horton is heading up the search. The firm has worked with other school districts, including Spring ISD, assisting in the selection of Superintendent Rodney Watson in 2014.

The candidate selected will have to lead KISD, which has grown to almost 51,000 students this school year, said Mike Moses, an attorney with Thompson and Horton.

“[It will be] someone that has a proven track record with certain similar student populations,” Moses said. “You want people who have been successful and proven they have been successful.”

Thompson and Horton has received a number of applications with the expectation of receiving more, said Judy Rimato, associate superintendent for communications for KISD.

March 11 is the application deadline for external candidates, and the first round of interviews will take place March 28. A second round of interviews in April will follow as well as background checks, Moses said.

Public input

Teachers, students, administrators, parents and even local stakeholders without children enrolled in the district met with Thompson and Horton on Feb. 2 to discuss superintendent qualifications.

Public input was also gathered through an online survey available in February, said Beverley McGlasson, executive assistant to the superintendent. The consultants used the survey data to derive a profile of the ideal superintendent, which will be used as the applicants are reviewed.

Focus groups as well as other residents were invited to engage in superintendent search discussions on Feb. 3, said David Thompson, a partner at Thompson and Horton.

“It’s a way to allow people to know the board is asking people to [provide]input,” Thompson said. “The board wants people to know what’s going on and to be involved in the process.”

Next steps

The single finalist will be named April 18. At that point, Thompson said it is mandatory to provide a 21-day period to finalize the contract.

“Under Texas law, they have to keep that name out for 21 days—it allows people to Google them, and [the candidates will] visit the community,” Thompson said. “It allows everyone to say, ‘Is this the real deal or not?’”

During Cain’s tenure as superintendent, the district grew by 13,500 students, while graduation rates improved and droput rates declined.

KISD trustee Rick Mann said he hopes to find a candidate who embraces the direction the district is headed.

“I am hoping for a candidate that has the same level of professional integrity [as Cain], someone with a strong curriculum background, someone that will go into the classroom with knowledge of the work our teachers provide daily—[I want] someone that will include the rich history of Klein, and at the same time move forward with the ‘new Klein’ that is enriching our district,” Mann said.

The goal for Thompson and Horton is to attempt to create a calendar that would allow the board to make decisions to help the new superintendent have a smooth transition, Thompson said.

By July 5 the selected candidate will assume the role as superintendent for KISD.

“The people who we are recruiting for this job are very successful right now,” Moses said. “They’re not necessarily looking for a job. They’ll give this some thought before they decide to jump in.”

Cain’s final day serving as superintendent is June 30.

Klein ISD aims to select candidate to replace superintendent by April 18[/caption]