The Ottumwa Community School District Board of Education met with a representative from Grundmeyer Leader Services (GLS) on Monday, December 15, 2025, to continue the search process for the district’s next superintendent. GLS has been retained by the Board to facilitate a comprehensive and confidential search to identify strong leadership for Ottumwa Schools.

The application period is now open and will close on Sunday, January 18, 2026. Board members will have access to applicant materials, including cover letters, resumes, and letters of recommendation, throughout the application window. In accordance with candidate requests and best practices, all application materials will remain confidential until finalists are identified.

On Monday, January 26, 2026, GLS will meet with the Board of Education in closed session to present additional information on candidates and assist the Board in selecting semifinalists. Semifinalist interviews will be conducted virtually on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, also in closed session. Following these interviews, the district will share a press release announcing the finalists and providing background information, allowing candidates time to notify their current districts.

Finalist interviews will take place in Ottumwa on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, with a snow date of Wednesday, February 11, 2026. The interview process will include meetings with the Board of Education, multiple mixed interview teams made up of students, support staff, teachers, administrators, parents, and community members, as well as tours of the community and district schools. All participants will provide feedback through a Google Form administered by Grundmeyer Leader Services.

At the conclusion of finalist interviews on February 10, the Board will convene in closed session to review feedback and debrief on each candidate, with the intent to offer a contract to the district’s next superintendent that evening. Following acceptance of the offer, the name of the new superintendent will be publicly released within several days.

Ottumwa Schools will continue to provide periodic updates throughout the superintendent search process. Confidentiality of candidate names is required and essential to maintaining a strong applicant pool. The district remains committed to transparency and will share information with the community as timely and appropriately as possible.

For more information about Ottumwa's superintendent search, visit Grundmeyer Leader Services.