This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Utah Board of Education took its first step toward selecting a new state superintendent on Friday.
Board members voted to launch a search committee, to be chaired by Mark Huntsman, which will begin the process of identifying candidates to replace Brad Smith, who resigned as state superintendent in February.
Other members of the committee were not identified on Friday, but Chairman David Crandall said the board's bylaws allow for any interested board member to participate.
Joel Wright, a member of the school board, said the new state superintendent should be culled from a pool of national candidates with diverse backgrounds and qualifications.
"They don't have to be a Utahn, they don't have to be Mormon, they don't have to have gone to BYU or the U. of U.," Wright said. "We want the best talent possible."
Following Smith's resignation, deputy state superintendent Sydnee Dickson was selected to serve as state superintendent in an interim capacity.
The administrative changes come during a period of turnover at the State Office of Education, which has seen the exit of several high-ranking staff members and the retirement or resignation of three state superintendents since 2012.
Some board members questioned the timeline for a superintendent search, suggesting that current educators and school district administrators could be blocked from applying due to their responsibilities during the current academic year.
But Huntsman responded that the committee could potentially postpone a final decision while still moving forward with the selection process.
"I think we can start the search," he said. "I don't think it would hurt how [candidates] would operate in their capacities if they're putting in an application."
Twitter: @bjaminwood