JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The search is on for a new superintendent after Dr. Diana Greene retired at the end of the school year.
The Duval County School Board is looking for the person who can be at the helm not only for the next school year, but hopefully the next 5 to 10 years according to the board chair.
That means a nationwide search to make sure they find the right person.
"Time is of the essence," said Board Member April Carney during a special called board meeting.
With the new school year starting in less than two months, the Duval County School Board is trying to make the search for a new superintendent timely and effective.
The board unanimously agreed to use the Florida School Board Association to help find qualified candidates.
"This process will include going out there and finding those high-caliber educators to come here, but it will also include making sure we are making connections with the community and asking what they are looking for in the national search," said Board Chair Kelly Coker.
Coker says the search will last for 6 to 8 months.
She's hoping for 25 or so qualified candidates, whittling it down to four or five finalists.
A superintendent isn't the only new thing the school board is looking for. They're also on the real estate market. The board took a look at two options for a possible new headquarters.
The first option - rent a space for 20 years in the Florida Blue building in Riverside. The other, to build a brand-new headquarters in LaVilla next to JTA.
Estimates show the district would pay $67 million over 20 years to rent in Florida Blue, or more than $200 million for the new building near JTA over 40 years, but they'd own the building after that.
Chair Coker brought up the district has lost 9000 students in the past five years, so that downward trend is something she'd like them to consider.
Board Member Charlotte Joyce echoed those concerns.
"We don't want to put future boards in a position where so many dollars are going to maintaining an administrative building and not educating children," said Joyce.
The board is going to take a month to digest what they heard about the headquarters before making any decisions.
As for the superintendent search, Dana Krizner was hired as the interim superintendent and will serve in that role for the next six months.