The search for Bellevue’s next superintendent has been tough so far.

In addition to the narrow time-frame to find someone by the end of this year, Albert Cohen of the search firm McPherson & Jacobson said it’s been difficult in his first week or so on the job.

The Bellevue School Board voted to hire McPherson & Jacobson last week after the only other search firm it had been considering dropped out of the race.

Cohen said many qualified applicants he’s reached out to across the country are in their second or third years in their current positions, thus don’t want to leave yet. However, he is staying abreast of the hiring processes in the Seattle and Spokane districts.

In addition to making phone calls and sending emails to potential candidates, Cohen said he and his partner, Mike Boring, have also finished a brochure.

Cohen emphasized that he and Boring are in phase one and two of their plan to find a superintendent. These include establishing characteristics of the new superintendent and a timeline for superintendent search and also determining advertising venues. The second phase is holding stakeholder input meetings, developing and distributing application and advertising materials and recruiting/tracking applicants.

Gabrielle Nomura: 425-453-4602;

gnomura@bellevuereporter.com