The Carmel Clay School Board has added a fifth phase to the search for the new superintendent who will replace current superintendent Jeff Swensson. Phase 5 includes advertising a proposed contract in the Noblesville Times and on the Carmel Clay Schools website, holding a public hearing and voting and signing on the contract.

“We chose to do (the phases) because we’re trying to communicate the search that we chose to do in a way that made sense to everyone,” school board member Tricia Hackett said. “By law, we don’t have to do any kind of public search at all; the school board can just decide amongst themselves and then announce it, but we’ve decided to have a specific search and divide it into phases so people can better understand it.”

Although the three finalists, Eric Ban, Bruce Hibbard and Mary Ann Dewan, have been decided, there is no set date for when the board will announce the new superintendent.

After visiting the candidates’ current districts, which is Phase 4, the board will start to make a final decision and write up a contract. However, law does not require that the board announces which candidate the contract is for.

“Now at this point, our whole focus is really trying to be transparent,” Hackett said. “The way the board is feeling is we would put that name out there too.”

This process is expected to be done by the end of April, but if not, the overall goal is to announce the new superintendent by the end of the school year.

According to Hackett, after a proposed contract is put up, there must be a minimum of 10 days before the board has a public hearing.

After the hearing, the board has to wait at least seven days before voting on the contract.

“That’s a minimum of 17 days added to that whole contract negotiation process so that it’s really transparent and that anybody in the community who wants to give input can come,” Hackett said.

Ultimately, even though the community is allowed to make suggestions and give input, the school board makes the final decision.

Hackett said they are looking for a leader who can take the school district to an even higher level.

“We’re looking for a leader who’s very people-oriented and can make the tough decisions but knows how to include others in different stakeholder groups along those decisions so that we all feel like we’re in this together,” she said. “We’re looking for a visionary leader who can take Carmel Clay Schools from great to even better.”