The search is ready to begin for a new Kalispell Public Schools superintendent.

District trustees on Tuesday selected the Montana School Boards Association to conduct the superintendent search. The association helped the district hire Superintendent Mark Flatau in 2014.

Flatau is retiring and his last day is June 30, 2020.

The association will be contracted for $7,500, plus all expenses, which includes four on-site visits.

Trustees also were presented with a proposal from Northwest Leadership Associates that outlined services for a cost of $16,800 plus expenses.

Montana School Boards Association will consult with the board, advertise the position, screen applicants, assist with interviews, conduct reference checks, help develop a contract and provide legal counsel, among other duties such as facilitating focus groups and conducting surveys to find out what qualities and attributes staff and community members are seeking in a superintendent, according to Debra Silk, associate executive director of Montana School Boards Association.

“We will assist you from the beginning to the end,” Silk said, later adding, “Hiring a superintendent is one, if not the most, important decisions you will make.”

Silk said the position will be advertised nationally. When asked what the best time was to open the position, Silk suggested December/January.

“I think superintendents both in-state and out-of-state tend to start looking at those positions in the December/January time frame,” she said.

Next, the district will establish a time line and a process to select a new superintendent. The topic is the focus of a school board work session at 6 p.m. Sept. 24 at Flathead High School.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.