RACINE - When the Racine Unified School Board began its search for a new superintendent, it didn't do it alone. The board spent $24,000 to hire Milwaukee consulting firm PROACT Search Inc. to find the best person for the job.

The firm also was given an additional $13,000 to pay for expenses such as advertising, background checks and travel expenses for candidates.

Despite finding that all three final candidates were bought out of their contracts and one may have submitted an incorrect resume for a prior position, the agency's leader is happy with the outcome.

"These are excellent candidates," said Nancy Noeske, president and chief executive officer of PROACT Search.

The firm has worked with two of the three candidates, Carlinda Purcell and Craig Bangtson, on past superintendent searches for other districts within the past two years.

Working with an employment screening service, the firm checked the candidates' backgrounds. That included looking for criminal and civil cases, bankruptcies and tracing their Social Security numbers. The screening also provides the dates that employees were at a particular agency.

"We always ask them the reasons they left a particular job," Noeske said.

The firm contacted the references the candidates provided, Noeske said. It is challenging to find contacts for jobs the candidates held early in their careers, she added.

"The problem with going back too far is that school board members that were there 15 years ago are not there anymore," Noeske said. "It's hard to track people down."

The firm also performed Internet searches to see what other information it could find about the candidates. If firm personnel found anything controversial, they asked the candidates about it, Noeske said. They asked for an explanation and possible additional references.

If firm personnel could not verify the explanation, "we have to go with what we found on Google," Noeske said.

The board was then informed of all findings.

"The board is fully aware of the issues surrounding the candidates," Noeske said.

During initial interviews with the finalists, School Board Vice President Sue Kutz said board members asked the finalists to disclose anything that might be controversial.

"When you're looking for an urban superintendent, there's going to be stuff. You expect to have somebody who is honest and open," said Kutz, who chaired the search committee. "Can they have an explanation for what happened? … then it is up to the board whether they're going to accept that."

The firm advertised in the Wall Street Journal and sent recruiting letters nationwide.

The search began in early January with an initial deadline of Feb. 21. In that time, 24 candidates applied for the job, Noeske said.

In a similar superintendent search in Elgin, Ill., 30 candidates applied for the position.

The firm specializes in recruiting school executives and nonprofit association executives. It accounts for 85 percent of its business.

The firm has done similar superintendent searches for school districts in Baltimore, New Orleans, Cincinnati and St. Louis, Noeske said.

The Unified board picked PROACT over four other search firms: BWP & Associates from Libertyville, Ill.; School Exec Connect of Highland Park, Ill.; Ray and Associates, Inc. of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates, Ltd., of Glenview, Ill. The Glenview firm helped the district find former Superintendent Tom Hicks in 2001.