Ballard Superintendent

Grundmeyer Leader Search; Huxley (IA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Grundmeyer Leader Search partners with a US school district seeking a proven chief executive to lead administrative, instructional, and support services. The role directs district programs, facilities, and finances to ensure high-quality student outcomes.

The ideal candidate demonstrates strong leadership, policy acumen, and experience guiding large teams, with clear communication to the Board and community. This is a senior public education leadership position.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in education administration or related field; Master's preferred.
• Extensive experience in school administration or district leadership.
• Strong leadership, communication and budgeting abilities.

Responsibilities

• Serve as CEO of the school district and direct all policies and programs.
• Advise the Board on policy needs and ensure proper implementation.
• Prepare recommendations and present necessary data to the Board.
• Handle emergencies and attend Board meetings; report on district matters.
• Oversee legal compliance, budgeting, and curriculum planning.
• Lead negotiations with labor organizations and manage staffing actions.
• Develop and audit the district's strategic plan and educational objectives.

Skills

Leadership

Public education knowledge

Budgeting

Strategic planning

Policy compliance

Communication

Change management

Staff mentorship

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Master's Degree

Doctoral degree preferred

Tools

Office software

Job description

• Date Posted: 11/13/2026
• Date Available: 07/01/2027
• Closing Date: 1/3/2027

Position Purpose

To inspire, lead, guide and direct every member of the administrative, instructional, and supportive services teams in setting and achieving the highest standards of excellence in developing and maintaining the best possible educational programs and services, so that each individual student enrolled in the school district will be provided with a complete, valuable, meaningful, and personally rewarding education.

To oversee and administer the use of all school district facilities, property, and funds with to ensure that those resources are utilized in an appropriate manner.

Essential Functions

• Serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the school district, administering the development and maintenance of a positive educational program designed to foster student achievement and meet the needs of the school community in conformance with Board policies and applicable law.
• Advises the Board on the need for new or revised policies and ensures that all policies of implemented and followed.
• Prepares and submits to the Board recommendations relative to all matters requiring Board action, placing before the Board such necessary and helpful facts, information and reports needed to enable the Board to make informed decisions.
• Handles emergency situations as necessary on any matter that requires immediate action or that is not covered by Board policies or school district procedures.
• Attends and participates in all meetings of the Board and its committees, except executive sessions for the purpose of discussing the Superintendent's employment or salary.
• Serves as ex officio member of Board and school committees.
• Reports to the Board such matters as deemed material to the understanding and proper management of the schools, or as the Board may request.
• Supervises the carrying out of all laws, regulations, and Board policies.
• Makes all administrative decisions within the school necessary to the proper function of the school district.
• Makes such rules and gives such instructions to school employees and students as may be necessary to implement Board policy.
• Formulates school objectives, policies, plans, and programs; prepares (or causes to be prepared) and presents facts and explanations necessary to assist the Board in its duty of legislation for the schools.
• Conducts a periodic audit of the total school program, and advises the Board on recommendations for the educational advancement of the schools.
• Recommends to the Board for its adoption all courses of study, curriculum guides, and major changes in texts and time schedules to be used in the schools.
• Oversees the timely revisions of all curriculum guides and courses of study.
• Prescribes rules for the classification and advancement of students, and for the transfer of students from one building to another in accordance with published policies.
• Communicates directly or through delegation all actions of the Board relating to personnel matters to all employees; and receives from employees communications to be made to the Board.
• Oversees collective bargaining negotiations with labor organizations representing school district employees.
• Recommends for appointment, election, or employment all employees of the Board except professional officers of the Board, and assigns, transfers, and recommend for dismissal any and all employees of the Board except professional officers of the Board.
• Assigns and transfers employees as the interest of the district may dictate, and reports such action to the Board for information and record.
• Supervises methods of teaching, supervision, and administration in effect in the schools.
• Recommends to the Board for final action the promotion, salary changes, demotion, or termination of employment of any employees.
• Establishes and administers the school district's evaluation and performance management programs to ensure that standards of employee performance are maintained, constructive feedback is provided and corrective action taken when necessary.
• Supervises the preparation and presentation of the annual budget and recommends it to the Board for approval.
• Establishes and maintains efficient procedures and effective controls for all expenditures of school funds in accordance with the adopted budget.
• Acts as purchasing agent for the Board, and established procedures for the purchase of books, materials, and supplies.
• Provides suitable instructions and regulations to govern the use and care of school properties.
• Recommends to the Board sales of all property no longer required by the Board, and supervises the proper execution of such sales.
• Submits, or causes to be submitted, all reports required by the federal and state laws.
• Recommends the establishment or alteration of attendance boundaries for all schools in the interest of good administration of the instructional program, and approves the special transfer of students from one neighboring district to another only when, in the superintendent's opinion, conditions in each case warrant such action.
• Makes recommendations to the Board concerning the transportation of pupils in accordance with the law and the requirements of safety.
• Makes recommendations with reference to the location and size of new school sites and of additions to existing sites; the location and size of new buildings on school sites; the plans for new school buildings; all appropriations for sites and buildings' and improvement, alterations, and changes in the buildings and equipment of the district.
• Represents the district in its dealings with other school systems, institutions, agencies, and community organizations.
• Keeps informed of modern educational thought and practices by advances study, by visiting school systems elsewhere, by attending educational conferences, and by other appropriate means, and keeps the Board informed of trends in education.
• Establishes and maintains a program of public relations to keep the public well-informed of the activities and needs of the school district, establishing a cooperative working relationship between the schools and the community.
• Keeps the public informed about modern educational practices, educational trends, and the policies, practices, and problems in the district's schools.
• Confers periodically with professional and lay groups concerning the school program, and transmits to the Board suggestions gained from such conferences.

Additional Duties

Performs other related tasks as assigned by the Board of Education.

Note

Note: The above description is not meant to be all inclusive of every task or responsibility.

Equipment

Uses standard office equipment such as personal computers, printer, copier and fax machines, and telephone.

Travel Requirements

Travels to school district buildings and professional meetings as required.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Thorough knowledge of current trends in research and practices in public education.
• Demonstrated competence in leadership, management, interpersonal relations and communications.
• Ability to maintain and instill high standards of ethics and integrity.
• Knowledge of teaching methods, educational pedagogy and behavioral management methods successful in school environments at all levels.
• Knowledge of administration and supervision concepts.
• Knowledge of applicable federal and state laws regarding education, students, professional staff and other employees, etc.
• Ability to organize and coordinate work.
• Ability to develop and implement projects.
• Ability to prepare oral or written communications for distribution to the Board of Education, employees, students and parents.
• Ability to organize multiple tasks and conflicting time constraints.
• Ability to ensure that responsible administrators address student disciplinary matters in an effective, consistent and fair manner in accordance with applicable law and Board policies.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with others contacted in the course of work.
• Ability to engage in self-evaluation with regard to leadership, performance and professional growth.
• Ability to plan and implement professional development for administrators and teaching staff.
• Ability to anticipate and address problems that may arise in a resourceful and consistent manner.
• Ability to use computer network system and software applications as needed.

Physical and Mental Demands, Work Hazards

Works in standard office and school building environments.

Note

Note: Also see the Summary of Physical, Sensory and Environmental Requirements Needed to Perform Essential Functins for this position.

Qualifications Profile

Certifications/License:

• State Certification as required for position
• Motor Vehicle Operator's License or ability to provide own transportation.

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree and Masters Degree from an accredited college or university, preferable in School Administration.
• Masters plus 30 or Doctoral Degree preferred.

Experience:

• Extensive successful teaching experience, preferable in more than one grade level.
• Extensive successful administration experience, preferable both as a school building and central office administrator.

FLSA Status

Exempt