Trenton and Hamilton will be starting the new school year with interim leaders.
MERCER COUNTY -- The county's two largest school districts, Trenton and Hamilton, are still without permanent superintendents as a new year begins, but hired search firms this week in the hopes of finding their next school leaders.
On Wednesday, Trenton's board chose Ray and Associates, an Iowa-based search firm that specializes in school administrators, and Hamilton's board hired West Hudson Associates, a consulting firm owned by former state education commissioner William Librera.
Trenton has been without a permanent superintendent since October 2015 when Francisco Duran abruptly resigned to take a position in Virginia.
Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates, the search firm that was hired, narrowed the field of 34 applicants to two finalists who were introduced to the public in April. But questions and concerns emerged over their pasts and, hours before a decision was to be made, both withdrew their names from consideration.
The district put out a request for a new search firm, but when Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates was the only respondent, the board solicited a new round of proposals. This time, Ray and Associates was the only firm to respond -- but it's a familiar name. It led the district's 2012 search that resulted in the selection of Duran.
Board president Jason Redd said Thursday that community members will be given the opportunity at meetings and online to share their thoughts about what they would like to see in the next superintendent -- before an advertisement for the job is even posted.
"We want to make sure everybody has a voice," he said.
Redd said people will also be able to recommend potential candidates to the search firm, which will then seek them out and have them apply.
He said finding a new superintendent is the board's most important task. Board members even met with Thomas Edison State University's John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy to figure out what went wrong in the last search, what could be done better and what they should be looking for in candidates as the search gets underway.
Ray and Associates was awarded a contract not to exceed $32,700 -- $18,000 for the base consulting fees and $14,700 for anticipated travel, advertising and candidate expenses. Michael Rush, who lives in Lakewood, will be leading the search.
While the timeline is still being worked out, Redd said the board hopes to have a new superintendent in place for the start of the 2017-18 school year.
Hamilton, meanwhile, set a much tighter timeline. Officials have said they hope a new person can take the helm by Feb. 1, but if need be, interim Superintendent Thomas Ficarra's contract runs through mid-May.
The board has been searching for a superintendent since October 2014 when then-Superintendent James Parla submitted his resignation, effective Jan. 31, 2015. He intended to continue working on a per diem basis until an interim was found, but the board terminated his contract that February. Ficarra was then brought on in May.
On Wednesday, Librera was awarded a $12,000 contract to oversee the search.
He anticipated that the job will be advertised beginning Sept. 11 and applicants will have a month to apply. In the meantime, he will hold forums and send out a survey to solicit the opinions of parents, teachers, staff and board members and use the information to create a "leadership profile."
"The board can look at that and make the decision of 'This is what we would like to see in the superintendent' so people like me know how to communicate that with candidates and consider candidates against the criteria," Librera said. "So the people we recommend are people that are close in experience to the criteria and also seem to be a good fit by virtue of their experience."
He said the board would then begin interviewing the recommended candidates in late October or early November.
"Hamilton is a large school district with a lot of diversity and a lot of things about it that are interesting," he said. "I'm optimistic that there are talented people who will be interested in this position."
Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find NJ.com on Facebook.