The Austin Independent School District is in the process of recruiting and hiring a new superintendent. The Board of Trustees has hired ProAct Search, Inc., an executive search firm, to assist in the process of hiring a superintendent.

On September 23-25, ProAct representatives led twelve community forums and numerous focus groups throughout the district to allow members of the public to provide input on the superintendent search.

This input, along with comments received on a survey and from a telephone hotline, were used to develop a Position Profile, which Board members and representatives of ProAct will use in screening and interviewing candidates. This process will take place in November and December, with the goal of selecting finalists by late January or early February.

While the Board is ultimately responsible for making the hiring decision, public input has been extremely important in defining the profile of the ideal candidate to lead our district and to help identify key district issues.

The Board's goal is to have a new superintendent hired by Spring, 2009 and ready to begin work by June, 2009, when Dr. Forgione is scheduled to retire. We will continue to keep you updated about our progress.

Mark Williams
President, AISD Board of Trustees