Rachel Dahl
The Churchill County School District Board of Trustees has formally launched its search for the district’s next superintendent, approving a timeline that targets finalist interviews in March and a July 1 start date, along with a public stakeholder survey and an updated salary range intended to make the district more competitive in Nevada’s rural superintendent market.
Superintendent Derild Parsons is set to retire on June 30.
Trustees took action during a special board meeting to direct Modern EducateHR, the firm assisting with the search, to proceed with recruitment and advertising immediately following approval of the candidate profile, salary range, survey, and application process.
According to the proposed search timeline included in the meeting packet and a presentation by Keith Lewis, lead consultant, the superintendent position is expected to post on Dec. 30, 2025, with applications open for a minimum 45-day window closing Feb. 14, 2026. During that period, consultants plan a broad advertising campaign plus targeted outreach through regional and national networks to encourage qualified candidates to apply.
The timeline also includes a community stakeholder survey running Jan. 6–Jan. 27, followed by screening and preliminary review Feb. 16–Feb. 27. Lewis said they will schedule to bring the board a slate of finalists, “not to exceed five candidates” at a board meeting around March 3, with finalist interviews proposed for March 12–13 or March 18–19. Contract development and board approval would follow, to finalize an agreement at the board’s March 31 meeting if possible, or at a special meeting in early April.
Lewis also outlined “transition and entry planning” between April and June, including initial goal-setting and a smoother handoff ahead of July 1.
As part of the process, trustees approved a stakeholder input survey open to parents, staff, community members, and students aged 14 and older.
The survey asks respondents to rate leadership qualities such as integrity, trust, transparency, communication, and community visibility, as well as professional experience areas including budgeting, rural district experience, labor relations, safety and crisis management, and familiarity with Nevada regulations. It also asks participants to select their top three priorities for the next superintendent’s first two to three years, including academic outcomes, staff recruitment and retention, financial stability, safety, and community trust, followed by open-ended narrative questions.
Survey responses are intended to be anonymous, with any comments naming specific individuals redacted before results are shared with trustees.
The superintendent candidate profile approved by trustees outlines a leader expected to be a strong instructional and organizational leader, a careful steward of district finances, and an active presence in schools and in the community.
The profile states the board seeks a superintendent who respects the distinct roles of trustees and administration, makes difficult decisions when necessary, and is skilled in Nevada school finance and long-term sustainability.
One of the district’s non-negotiables remains residency: the candidate profile specifies “willingness to become a resident of Churchill County within six months of accepting the position.”
The packet also details the required application materials: a completed application, a letter of interest, a résumé, and a signed waiver related to Nevada’s Open Meeting Law notice requirements.
The waiver is intended to help the board consider applicants and conduct the selection process without delays caused by statutory notice requirements when professional competence is at issue.
Trustees also approved an updated salary range for recruitment — $175,000 to $185,000 — after reviewing a compensation analysis showing Churchill’s current superintendent base salary is below the rural median.
The salary analysis from Modern EducateHR reports that the median rural superintendent base salary for 2025–26 is approximately $187,000, while Churchill’s current base salary is $167,238, placing the district below the rural median and below many similarly sized or slightly larger comparison districts.
The compensation study also notes Churchill’s overall package is lean compared with peers, with relatively limited “add-ons” included in other districts’ superintendent contracts.
In addition to approving the timeline and salary range, trustees directed the search firm to include a minimum of five years of administrative experience as a requirement for applicants. That requirement is intended to help ensure candidates are sufficiently seasoned for a district-wide leadership role.
With the approved direction in place, Modern EducateHR is expected to move quickly to post and recruit as the board works toward selecting a new superintendent for the 2026–27 school year.
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