Briefs: School District

By Kendra Walker

Superintendent hiring process

The Gunnison Watershed School District board expressed interest to hire a third-party firm to help with the district’s superintendent search, as current superintendent Leslie Nichols has announced her plans to leave her position at the end of the 2025/26 school year.

Nichols told the board she received a $15,000 quote from the firm McPherson & Jacobson, which specializes in superintendent searches. 

“I think $15,000 is very reasonable for finding the best leader that we can,” said board member Katya Schloesser. “I think we owe it to our community to have the best search possible.” Schloesser said she spoke with representatives from a couple of comparable school districts that had worked with McPherson and had very positive reviews. She said both districts felt the firm had built trust with their communities through a transparent, well-communicated process. 

Based on the board’s consensus, Nichols said she would begin the engagement process and budget allocation to work with McPherson, which will be approved at a future board meeting. The board also plans to designate one or two members to be more involved in the candidate search process.