Alachua County School Board selects superintendent search firm
The Gainesville Sun | By: Chelsea Long | August 20, 2026
Key Points
- The Alachua County School Board hired McPherson & Jacobson to find the district’s next superintendent.
- The firm was chosen over two other competitors, including the Florida School Boards Association.
- McPherson & Jacobson’s proposed search will cost the district $47,200 and includes a two-year guarantee.
The Alachua County School Board voted unanimously on Aug. 19 to hire national executive search firm McPherson & Jacobson to lead the search for the district’s next superintendent. The board chose the firm over two competitors: the Florida School Boards Association and Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates.
Each firm was given an hour to pitch its services and answer questions from the board. Board Chair Thomas Vu said McPherson & Jacobson stood apart because its consultants were candid about the board’s responsibilities in the search process.
“They called us out,” Vu said. “They said, ‘Here’s what you need to be successful’ … and they were telling us what the board has to do instead of almost acting afraid to upset us was what won me over.”
Santa Fe celebrates winning the third set against Calvary Christian during an FHSAA volley game at Santa Fe High School in Alachua, FL on Monday, August 17, 2026.
The McPherson & Jacobson team, led by Steve Joel, a former superintendent of Lincoln Public Schools in Nebraska, proposed a five-phase search that would cost the district $47,200. The process includes in-person stakeholder meetings, background and financial checks on finalists and a two-year guarantee to repeat the search at no cost if the district’s hire does not work out.
