MARION COUNTY, FL (352Today.com) – In its current quest to find a new superintendent, the Marion County Public School Board has engaged the services of Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, an Illinois-based educational consulting and headhunting firm with considerable experience in Florida school districts and systems.

On Thursday night, Nov. 6, 2025, in the wake of an in-person community forum at Bridgeway Academy on Nov. 4, HYA held the first of two online focus groups, during which they asked for the public’s input regarding what members of the community wanted to see in their new superintendent.

Hosts Bill and Stacey Adams of HYA hosted the event, which was held over Zoom. A small but vocal contingent of fewer than a dozen citizens attended. Dr. Bill Adams opened the proceedings by explaining that HYA was in the initial phase of its four-stage process–“Engagement”–and emphasized the importance of community input to HYA’s methodology. He noted that the meeting’s comments would be anonymized, and told the assembled group that, in essence, he would be asking for their thoughts on four basic questions:

  • What are the Marion County Public School system’s current needs, and what those needs might look like or change over the next five years?
  • What are the current strengths of the school board that the community would like to see continued under the next superintendent?
  • What can the community tell HYA about the area, culture, school system, etc., that citizens think are critical considerations when considering candidates?
  • Would anyone like to suggest any specific individuals in the community for the job?

While the assembled group was small, the input was voluminous. Attendees mentioned everything from the importance of respecting the unique characteristics of each school’s particular neighborhood to the school board’s history of being proactive about recognizing the achievements of educators, administrators and students. One commenter voiced her concerns over redistricting and the potential financial effects of intermingling public, private, religious and charter facilities. Another stressed the need for mental health support for teachers and students alike. Other factors that were covered included a need for the new superintendent to express not just compassion, but empathy for the employees and students of all areas of the district, and an understanding of the economic impact the educational industry provides for the area.

With regard to the final question, no one “nominated” any single individual from the community as an ideal candidate for the position.

There will be another, final virtual focus group via Zoom on Monday, Nov. 10 at 5 p.m. The public is encouraged to attend and voice their opinions regarding a new Marion County Public School Board superintendent.

Virtual focus group meeting information for Monday, Nov. 10

Interested parties can also take an online survey open through next Friday, Nov. 14. The findings of HYA’s Engagement phase will be released in a public report on Dec. 1.