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About NCSA Nevada City School of the Arts is a tuition-free public charter school in California, providing students, families, and staff with an arts-based choice for elementary education. NCSA fosters academic, artistic, and social-emotional achievement, serves as a collaborator and contributor to the greater community, and is committed to safe, respectful, and equitable conditions for learning and working for everyone in our community. NCSA is located in Nevada City in the Sierra Nevada foothills, a small, arts-rich community with a strong sense of place and civic involvement. Enrollment and grades served: TK-8, 517 students Staff: 108 The Leader We Are Looking For NCSA is seeking an experienced educational and organizational leader who understands the unique character of an arts-integrated charter school and can provide strong leadership while preserving and strengthening the qualities that make NCSA special. The successful candidate will demonstrate: • A strong commitment to NCSA's mission, vision, and arts-integrated educational philosophy. • A successful record of educational and organizational leadership. • Experience leading teachers, administrators, classified employees, and other professionals in a school setting. • Strong instructional leadership and a commitment to academic, artistic, and social-emotional achievement. • Strong financial management skills, including budgeting, forecasting, resource allocation, and long-term planning. • The ability to lead a complex organization, establish priorities, delegate effectively, develop strong teams, and follow through. • Experience overseeing complex facilities, long-term facilities planning, deferred maintenance, capital improvements, or comparable organizational assets. • The ability to navigate difficult issues, manage competing priorities, build consensus, and lead an organization through change. • Strong communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with students, staff, families, the Board, and the broader community. • Integrity, sound judgment, humility, curiosity, collaboration, and a commitment to continued professional growth. Board and Governance Relationship The Executive Director reports to the Charter Governance Council and is expected to understand and respect the distinction between Board governance and Executive Director management. The successful candidate will be comfortable operating independently within authority delegated by the Board while communicating openly and proactively and providing clear, timely information necessary for effective Board oversight. NCSA's Board operates under the Carver Model of Governance, also known as Policy Governance, in which the Board establishes organizational Ends and Executive Limitations, monitors organizational performance, and speaks with one voice, while delegating authority to the Executive Director to manage operations within those established boundaries. Why NCSA NCSA is sponsored by the Nevada County Board of Education. Beyond the school itself, Nevada County is a wonderful place to call home - year-round outdoor and community activities, and a vibrant, deeply rooted arts and cultural scene. • Lead a school with more than 30 years of history. NCSA was founded in 1994 on a vision of putting arts and music at the heart of education, a vision that continues to define the school today. • Build on a strong foundation while helping shape what comes next. NCSA has grown from a small building into a thriving TK-8 school with strong, consistent enrollment and waitlists in every grade. • Steward a truly unique, school-owned campus at Bitney Springs. NCSA's campus includes multiple buildings and extensive grounds. Years of investment have improved the property, while its size and character create exciting possibilities for its future. • Support Nourish NCSA, the school's food program that provides free breakfast and lunch to every student, sources fresh produce from local growers, and connects kids to what they'e eating through initiatives like Harvest of the Month. • Lead a dedicated and creative staff. Work alongside passionate educators, artists, and professionals while fostering a culture of collaboration, trust, and shared purpose. • Join a community that knows how to rally around its school. NCSA's history reflects significant involvement from families, educators, artists, donors, and community partners, from creating the school itself to renovating its theater and ultimately securing a permanent home. • Have the opportunity to think big. With an established school, a unique campus, a strong identity, and decades of history, the next Executive Director can focus not only on today's needs, but also on long-term vision, sustainability, facilities, programming, and organizational growth. • Become a steward of something the community has spent decades building. The next Executive Director has an opportunity to carry that legacy forward while helping define what NCSA becomes next. Selection Process The Search Committee will review applicants using the qualifications and criteria established for the search, conduct interviews, and recommend finalists to the Board. The final selection of the Executive Director and approval of compensation rests with the NCSA Board of Directors.