PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles School District board of directors has chosen Human Capital Enterprises over four other firms to lead the search for the district’s next superintendent.

Marty Brewer, who was hired in 2018, announced his retirement on Nov. 12. He will stay until the end of his contract on Aug. 29.

The school board approved issuing a request for proposals from professional firms specializing in executive searches for superintendents on Dec. 12. It unanimously agreed to a contract on Jan. 9 with Human Capital Enterprises based in Palm Springs for $19,000 plus travel expenses.

Also submitting RFPs were Hazard Young Ettea Associates, Arlington Heights, Ill., ($15,500 plus travel); McPherson Jacobson, Omaha, Neb. ($11,900, including travel); Northwest Leadership Associates, Liberty Lake ($19,500 plus travel); and Ray & Associates, Cedar Rapids, Iowa ($18,000 plus travel).

Since many openings for superintendents often are posted later in the spring, the board wants to get a jump on other districts by conducting an expedited search with the goal of hiring a new superintendent by March.

“One of the main reasons is that the pool of candidates is the best right now,” said director Kirsten Williams, the board’s point person for the search. “And to do a lengthy search would cost us more.”

This will be board President Sarah Methner’s third superintendent search since she was elected in 2009.

“This is in effect an interview for a CEO position,” Methner said. “You have to have a very wide and deep breadth of knowledge about state laws and contracts, in addition to knowledge of what is good for children educationally.”

The value of using a search firm like Human Capital Enterprises, Methner said, is its expertise in managing the entire hiring process, particularly its ability to cast a wide recruiting net for candidates who want to come to Port Angeles.

It is worth the investment to find the right person, she said.

“A good search firm talks to a lot of stakeholders to get an idea of what our teachers think we need, what our businesses think we need and our students think you need,” Methner said.

The next step in the hiring process will be a special meeting between the board and Human Capital Enterprises to discuss logistics and timelines at 5 p.m. Thursday at the district administration building, 905 W. Ninth St.

A new superintendent most likely will ask for more compensation than Brewer, whose base salary was $175,552 last year, according to the state Superintendent for Public Instruction’s district personnel summary report for 2023-2024, which can found at tinyurl.com/yt7bab7b.

In comparison, the base salaries for other superintendents on the North Olympic Peninsula included: David Bingham, Crescent School District ($138,645); Michelle Parkin, Cape Flattery School District ($146,257); Ron Moag, Quilcene School District ($147,700); Linda Rosenbury, Port Townsend School District ($180,600); Scott Mauk, Chimacum School District ($181,734); Diana Reaume, Quillayute Valley School District ($213,337); and Regan Nickels, Sequim School District ($241,960).

________

Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.