Community Input Invited as FHSD Begins Search for Next Superintendent

The Forest Hills School District Board of Education has begun the search for the district’s next superintendent and is inviting the community to play an important role in the process. The Board of Education is partnering with the Hamilton County Educational Service Center (ESC) to lead the search after Superintendent Larry Hook announced in February that he will resign from his position at the end of the current school year.

The Hamilton County ESC search team will support the process by gathering stakeholder input, recruiting potential candidates and overseeing the timeline to select the district’s next leader. Stakeholder feedback will help guide the development of the superintendent leadership profile used throughout the search process.

“Selecting the next superintendent is one of the most important decisions a board of education makes,” said Wendy Strickler, Board President. “We place tremendous value on the perspectives of our staff, families, students and community members. Forest Hills is a strong community, and we want our next leader to reflect the priorities and values of the people we serve. We encourage everyone to share their feedback and help shape the future leadership of our district.”

The engagement phase of the search will take place throughout March. On March 10, FHSD will launch an online survey to collect feedback from staff, families and community members about the priorities and qualities they believe are most important in the district’s next superintendent. The survey will remain open through March 21, 2026. To participate in the survey, click on the following link:

Superintendent Search Survey Link

Please note, the last question of the survey allows our families and community members to express interest in participating in a focus group.

In addition to the survey, the Hamilton County ESC search team will host a series of focus groups to gather perspectives from faculty, staff, students, parents and community members. The search team will hold staff focus groups at each school across the district, and students from Anderson High School, Turpin High School and Nagel Middle School will also have the opportunity to participate and share their insights. Principals in each of the district’s elementary schools will also ask students for their input. 

Feedback gathered through the survey and focus groups will help inform the Superintendent Profile. This document will guide the Board of Education and Hamilton County ESC in identifying candidates who best align with the priorities and values of the Forest Hills community as they work to identify the next superintendent.

The search firm will give a process update to the Board of Education on March 18, and the next communication on the superintendent search process will follow the Board of Education meeting on March 31.

Superintendent Search Timeline

• March 10-13: Launch survey and internal focus groups
• Week of March 16: Host student focus groups
• Week of March 23: Host external focus groups with families and community
• March 21: Survey closes
• March 31: Board of Education meeting; finalize profile and establish next steps