Chapter 10: Out with the Old, in with Who: How Two Rural School Districts Focused on Succession Planning

This chapter highlights the work involved in succession planning as considered by two rural school district superintendents in Upstate New York as they realigned their districts to meet challenges associated with declining student enrollment, aging school, and district leadership teams as well as a limited tax base. The chapter outlines areas for superintendents and others to consider as they work toward devising a plan for leadership development multiple years out. The chapter further discusses how superintendents collaborated with their colleagues to devise regional approaches toward recruiting and creating a future leadership pipeline of qualified candidates. The chapter endeavors to showcase how these school leaders approached succession planning on an individual basis in their district as well as the lessons learned related to succession planning and growing a potential leadership talent pool.