FHSD Opens Superintendent Application After Robust Community Input Process

The Forest Hills School District Board of Education is excited to kick off the next phase of its superintendent search after taking time to gather input from residents, staff members, students and community groups across the school district. In partnership with the search team at the Hamilton County Educational Service Center (ESC), the Board is proud to share the FHSD Superintendent Profile—a detailed snapshot of the unique characteristics that make Forest Hills a premier school district and the ten skills the community helped identify as most critical for the district’s next leader to demonstrate.

The three-week community input process was a critical feature of the Board of Education’s collaborative approach to make sure voices throughout the school district are heard and their thoughts can help support the Board in their search for the district’s next superintendent.

“Our Board is unified in our commitment to hearing from the community and weighing different perspectives as we consider what qualities will be most important in our next superintendent,” said Wendy Strickler, Board President. “We have intentionally created spaces to allow everyone to share their thoughts, and we are excited to continue to engage with our community as the process moves forward.”

The FHSD Superintendent Profile was created by the Hamilton County ESC team based on input from students and staff at all nine district schools, a community-wide online survey that received 800 responses and six different community focus group sessions that included 80 individuals. The Board intentionally expanded the focus group opportunities to make sure there would be room to include everyone who expressed an interest in participating. All individuals who indicated interest in the survey received a follow-up invitation with focus-group dates.

Through that extensive input process, the FHSD community identified the ten most important characteristics needed in a future superintendent.

• Student-Centered Leadership
• Integrity and Trust
• Unifier and Bridge Builder
• Community-Connected Leader
• Commitment to Academic Excellence
• Complex Systems Leadership
• Whole-Learner Success
• Future Focused and Strategic
• Fiscal Stewardship
• Courageous and Decisive

Applications for the superintendent position will be accepted from April 1 to April 10, 2026. After that window closes, the Board will work with the search team to identify a list of candidates for the formal interview process. Certain interview phases will include key community stakeholders, and all members of the FHSD community will be invited to stay involved with an additional survey that will inform the later interview rounds and an opportunity to meet future candidates.

Community members are able to get the latest information about the search process, and find a more detailed breakdown of the upcoming timeline, on the District’s dedicated webpage: https://www.foresthills.edu/board-of-education/superintendent-search/

The next update in the superintendent search process is expected to take place at the Board of Education’s Regular Meeting on April 15.

Superintendent Search Profile Document

Click the link above or view the images below to see the FHSD Superintendent Search Profile.

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
• April 1-10: Application window
• April 13-24: Hamilton County ESC team screens candidates
• April 15: Board of Education Meeting
• April 20: Round One interviews involving community, Board and district leadership
• April 22: Round Two interviews with Board of Education
• April 27: Round Three interviews (finalists) with community and stakeholder groups, including a public Meet the Candidate Night (Nagel Middle School at 6 p.m.)
• April 29: Round Four interviews with the Board of Education
• Early May: Announcement of new superintendent

Please note, this timeline is tentative and will be updated throughout the search process. You can click here or click the image to download the search timeline document.