Polk County Public Schools is restarting its search for a new general counsel after the retirement of its longtime attorney.
Polk County: Polk County Public Schools is kicking off its second round to find a new general counsel. This comes after Wes Bridges, who served as the attorney for 26 years, retired last year.
During a recent meeting, the School Board got an update on the search process. They’re hoping to start interviews for finalists by mid-April if everything goes according to plan.
To help with the search, the district has teamed up with SGR, a consulting firm from Texas. They’ve already signed a contract worth $25,650 to guide the process.
The profile for the position was set to be finalized soon, and ads were expected to go out shortly after. They’re looking to post on various platforms, including some that won’t cost a dime.
Next steps include narrowing down candidates and selecting semifinalists. They’ll also be doing background checks and asking finalists to submit plans for their first year.
Applications are due by February 16, and the School Board plans to spend some time reviewing the candidates on February 25. They’ll also be collecting responses to questionnaires by March 9.
After that, semifinalists will be reviewed again on March 25, and finalists will have two days of meetings and interviews with the School Board.
The salary for the new position is expected to range from $129,260 to $172,502, which is pretty competitive compared to similar roles in other counties.
Some challenges the new counsel will face include managing public-private partnerships and charter schools, among other responsibilities.
Bridges retired in September, and the district had a tough time finding a replacement last time, receiving only five applications, with just one meeting the qualifications.
Polk County Public Schools serves over 117,000 students across about 120 schools, so finding the right person for this role is pretty important.
For more info, you can reach Gary White at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow him on X @garywhite13.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk Schools restarts search for general counsel
