RRPS school board agrees to timeline for superintendent search

RIO RANCHO — Christmas might come a little early this year for Rio Rancho Public Schools’ next superintendent.

The RRPS Board of Education approved a slew of items related to the executive search Oct. 3, including a timeline indicating a superintendent could be chosen not long after Dec. 12.

“Of course, (it is) subject to change if we were to have any hiccups,” said District 5 board member Jessica Tyler, who also serves as the board’s secretary, during the meeting.

The timeline offered a window into how serious the five-member board is about choosing a successor to Dr. Sue Cleveland, RRPS’s founding superintendent, who has announced that she will retire in spring 2026. Not even two weeks ago, the board unanimously approved opening a national search for a new superintendent and directed the district to hire a consultant to assist with the process on Sept. 22.

While Tyler presented most of the items on the Oct. 3 meeting agenda, a representative from that consulting firm, Minnesota-based Ray and Associates, appeared virtually to listen to the board members’ discussion.

The first phase of the search began during Friday’s meeting, when the board had a chance to meet with the consulting firm, according to Tyler.

An online survey asking stakeholders about the qualities they would like to see in the next superintendent went live Oct. 6 and will be posted until 19, Tyler said. The “31 Qualities Survey” asks parents, teachers, students, and others to choose 10 qualities out of 31 they believe are the most important in the next superintendent, according to a copy of the survey provided in the school district news release.

Stakeholder meetings are expected to take place Oct. 15-16, with locations and times to be determined, Tyler said.

Input from those meetings and the online survey will be used to craft the promotional flyer, which will contain a job description for the superintendent. The flyer will be finalized by the board on Oct. 20 and emailed to interested candidates the next day, according to an RRPS press release.

The deadline for candidates to turn in all application materials is Nov. 23, according to Tyler and the search website.

The first round of candidate interviews with the board, to be conducted virtually, is scheduled for Dec. 8 and 9, according to the website.

The candidates who are finalists will be interviewed by the board and stakeholders in person Dec. 15-17, the website said.

The board has not determined exactly when it will appoint a new superintendent or approve their contract, according to the website.

However, Tyler said during the meeting the decision is expected to come before the school district’s winter break, Dec. 22 to Jan. 2, 2026.

In addition to approving a search timeline, the school board also approved Oct. 3 a salary range of $245,000 to $265,000 for the superintendent.

Loren Hatch, RRPS legal counsel, told the board during the meeting that the superintendent will have to obtain an administrative license from the state. The incoming superintendent will have to obtain an administrative license from the state. The individual will need a master’s degree, but a doctorate is “strongly preferred,” Hatch said. A “willingness to permanently reside” within the boundaries of the district will also be necessary, he said.

District 3 board member Gary Tripp took issue with the residency qualification, suggesting the language of the position description say the superintendent “must reside” in Rio Rancho. The other board members agreed to the change.

During the Oct. 3 meeting, the board also approved two advertising packages to promote the search, which will include a new website and advertisements with groups such as the National Association of School Superintendents and other entities promoting ethnically diverse candidates.

The board also met in executive session — which is closed to the public and the media — to discuss the search.

The online stakeholder survey is available in English at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BMW7DP5 and in Spanish at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XZJB89R. The survey will remain open until 7 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 19.

The superintendent search website can be found at https://www.rrps.net/page/superintendent-search.