Miami-Dade schools look to national firm in search for new superintendent
The school board of Miami-Dade County will lean on a national education leadership firm for the search of its next district chief.
At Wednesday’s school board meeting, board members directed the general counselor to negotiate with Hazard, Young & Associates (HYA), one of the largest educational leadership search firms in the country, to keep within the spending limit of $30,000 to assist Miami-Dade County Public Schools find a superintendent.
The board recently approved a search process to capture candidates who could potentially lead the country’s third largest school district. The Board selected HYA at a May 6 meeting with specific expectations and requirements. Members directed the general counsel to get on the same page with the firm on expectations and requirements.
“ We will be making the most consequential decision during our tenure” in choosing a new superintendent, said board chair Mari Tere Rojas at a previous meeting about the search. “I know everyone takes this very seriously.”
With nearly 40 years of experience, HYA has undertaken thousands of superintendent searches in recent years nationwide, including in New York, Texas and California. In 2025, the Santa Clara Unified School District in California hired HYA to conduct the search for its superintendent and faced a consulting fee of $39,000, according to The Silicon Valley Voice.
The article also reported the firm was to meet with the community and stakeholders to get input on what they’d like in a leader. They did this through in-person events and online through a website and surveys. These steps are also part of the plan the Miami-Dade County district came up with before it hired HYA.
The five-part plan the board came up with establishes a timeline to follow and directs district staff to execute some steps, including naming the new chief at the start of the new school year and the price tag of the search.
The firm will come up with the list of candidates and finalists, but the Board has the final say in the selection.
Financial constraints
The district has been struggling financially. Dwindling enrollment counts tightened the budget by $89 million halfway through this school year when the purse was already $100 million thinner than last school year.
Members expressed the need to be frugal in this process because of that. The Miami Foundation had offered a grant of up to $50,000 for the search and some members wanted to accept it.
However, others were hesitant.
“ I am very uncomfortable with the optic of accepting money from another outside entity for this decision,” said member Mary Blanco. “I also feel that it is setting a precedent that perhaps could be misconstrued by the public, that there is an outside entity trying to influence, even though there is none.”
Chair Maria Teresa Rojas read from a letter she said was from the foundation: “We do not seek to influence or be involved in the process. That is your responsibility and we understand ensuring the search from outside influence.”
The board did not accept the grant.
Current superintendent Jose Dotres has less than a year left in the seat, as laid out by his contract. His tenure is planned to end Feb. 14, 2027.
