Williamson County Schools will pay up to $100,000 for an outside firm to find its next superintendent. The decision drew opposition from residents who argued interim Superintendent Leigh Webb should keep the job.
The Williamson County Board of Education voted 8-4 on Monday, Sept. 21, to hire ZEAL Education Group to lead the search, as Williamson Scene first reported. District 2 board member Randy Allen nominated ZEAL, a New York-based consulting firm founded in 2022.
The $100,000 search budget is already built into the board-approved budget, according to Rachel Farmer, assistant superintendent of budget and finance. ZEAL's base contract is $48,950, with additional costs for optional national advertising and expanded background checks. Farmer said unused funds would roll over to other initiatives.
During public comment, former board member Anne McGraw and Beverly Pervis, president of the Williamson County Education Association, questioned why the board would spend taxpayer money when Webb is already serving in the role. Webb, the district's former assistant superintendent of secondary schools, was unanimously appointed interim superintendent on June 29 after Superintendent Jason Golden left to join Franklin Special School District.
"We don't need to be spending a dollar of taxpayer money to rewrite a decades-in-the-making succession plan," McGraw said at the meeting.
District 1 board member Tony Bostic countered that a formal search would be fairest to Webb, so that if she earns the position, it is based on merit. District 4 board member Traci Anderson, who supported hiring ZEAL, said the firm's structured community input process was a deciding factor. ZEAL uses a platform called ThoughtExchange that lets residents share opinions anonymously.
The board considered three firms at a Sept. 17 work session, Williamson Scene reported: ZEAL, national firm HYA, and the Tennessee School Board Association (TSBA). HYA charges 25% of the hired superintendent's compensation. TSBA offered a two-year guarantee to repeat the search at no cost if the hire does not work out. Board members noted ZEAL lacks Tennessee-specific experience and has not worked with larger districts. Williamson County Schools enrolls roughly 40,000 students.
Webb's contract runs through May 2027, giving the board about eight months to complete the search. Her contract allows her to apply for the permanent position on the same terms as other candidates.
Before the vote, six board members were sworn in by Mayor Andy Marshall, according to the district's InFocus newsletter: Randy Allen, Traci Anderson, Kimberly Calcote, Donna Clements, Jennifer Konyn and Jessica Lucyshyn. The board then unanimously elected District 9 member Claire Reeves as chair, replacing former member Josh Brown. District 11 member Tonja Hibma was elected vice chair.
The next regular board meeting is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 19, at 6:30 p.m.
