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Richard Stowell, executive director of the Utah School Boards Association, speaks during a public hearing regarding the search for a new Provo City School District superintendent at Rock Canyon Elementary School on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023.

Sarah Hunt, Daily Herald

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Former Murray School District Superintendent Steve Hirase speaks during a public hearing regarding the search for a new Provo City School District superintendent at Rock Canyon Elementary School on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023.

Sarah Hunt, Daily Herald

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Former Murray School District Superintendent Steve Hirase speaks during a public hearing regarding the search for a new Provo City School District superintendent at Rock Canyon Elementary School on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023.

Sarah Hunt, Daily Herald

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Provo school board member Lisa Boyce speaks during a public hearing regarding the search for a new Provo City School District superintendent at Rock Canyon Elementary School on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023.

Sarah Hunt, Daily Herald

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Provo school board member Lisa Boyce speaks during a public hearing regarding the search for a new Provo City School District superintendent at Rock Canyon Elementary School on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023.

Sarah Hunt, Daily Herald

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The Provo City School District held its first meeting for public input on the search for a new superintendent Monday night at Rock Canyon Elementary School.

The meeting was conducted by Richard Stowell, executive director of the Utah School Boards Association. He showed a video detailing the progress of students in the Provo City School District, highlighting the fact that they had a smaller gap of learning due to COVID-19 than many other districts.

Stowell then introduced Steve Hirase, a retired superintendent of the Murray School District, who gave an overview of the several responsibilities of a superintendent.

“It’s important for superintendents to take on that role as an advocate for teachers, parents and, most importantly, the students,” Hirase said. “A superintendent needs to listen to and understand the community. They also need to take on the role of a politician, so they can represent the interests of the community at the state Legislature.”

Following Hirase’s remarks, Stowell directed the audience to a QR code on the screen that led to a public survey asking what residents are looking for in a new superintendent. He encouraged the audience to take it and share the link with their friends, family and neighbors living in Provo.

“All of that information will be available on the school district website, … but you can also do a great job of getting that word out to people that you might know,” Stowell said. “We want to find that five-star recruit. That’s the kind of people that we’re looking for.”

School board members Lisa Boyce, Jennifer Partridge and Melanie Hall all gave comments at the end of the presentation, reiterating the most important qualities they are looking for in a superintendent.

“One of the first things is someone who is a good communicator, who really is going to listen — listen to parents, listen to the teachers, listen to the employees — and then communicate clearly a vision for our district,” Boyce said.

Parent Amy Bates said, “I’m looking for someone who realizes that these issues that people find as hot button topics are things that actually affect real people. We come from a mixed-race family, and my children have experienced some difficult instances of ignorance and racism, and it’s been difficult. So I would look for someone that is willing to look at the gamut of people’s experiences and that will try to help address the range of each and every student, in helping that vision of meeting all of the kids’ needs.”

The superintendent position will be posted and open for applications starting Feb. 27.

There will be three more meetings this week for input from the public and from school district employees. The second public meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Timpanogos Elementary School and will be presented in Spanish.

The third public meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Provo High School and the final meeting, which is for school district employees only, will be held at 2:15 p.m. Friday at Centennial Middle School.

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