Marion County School Board Begins Search for New Superintendent

OCALA, FL – The Marion County Public School Board held a workshop on October 2, 2025, to discuss the recruitment process for a new school superintendent for the fiscal year 2026-2027. The search will be assisted by Hazard Young Attea and Associates, LLC, a firm based in Schaumburg, Illinois.

Bill and Stacy Adams, along with Dr. Monica Brown from HYA, will lead the search team. Bill Adams, who has 36 years of experience as a New Jersey superintendent, joined the firm in 2014 after working in search processes since 2006. Stacy Adams has also been with HYA since 2014 and has a background in the private education sector.

HYA is known for its extensive work in educational leadership searches, having conducted around 2,000 over its 35-year history. Their previous clients include school districts in Brevard, Broward, Collier, Indian River, and Duval counties in Florida.

The search process will occur in four stages: engagement, recruitment, selection, and transition. The engagement phase kicked off with a planning meeting on October 2, where HYA will gather stakeholder input and produce a leadership profile report detailing the traits desired in the next superintendent.

The recruitment phase will formally start once the school board approves the desired characteristics based on community feedback. This includes determining salary and benefits, enabling HYA to advertise nationally for the position.

HYA plans to present applications and resumes approximately 48 hours before the board’s first selection meeting, narrowing down candidates to eight to twelve who match the desired qualifications. The Delphi Method will be used to facilitate discussions among board members, ultimately leading to five to seven candidates being invited for interviews.

Upon selecting a candidate, HYA will conduct thorough background checks with the help of a third-party investigator to verify criminal, civil, financial history, and credentials. The entire recruitment process aims to ensure a well-rounded and qualified superintendent for Marion County schools.