NUSD to Interview Superintendent Candidates Next Week

Newark Unified School District is officially looking for a new superintendent and candidates will be interviewed as early as next week.

Board President Charlie Mensinger said Wednesday that the Board of Education plans to conduct interviews with a number of applicants on Saturday, June 18.

Mensinger’s announcement came less than a day after the board voted to approve a contract with Leadership Associates to provide consultant services for the duration of the superintendent search. The board also met in closed session Tuesday to discuss the superintendent's position.

An exact time for the Saturday session is yet to be determined. Mensinger did not disclose how many candidates the board expects to meet with but said the interviews will likely take up majority of the day.

The interviews will be held at the district office in closed session, as allowed by California’s open meeting law.

The board previously worked with Leadership Associates during its last superintendent search in 2008, when current superintendent Kevin Harrigan was selected.

Mensinger said the board intends to consider applicants based on criteria derived from community input.

That input was collected through public community meetings as well as emails, surveys and phone calls to board members from the educational community, including parents, teachers, staff and district officials.

The public’s major requests for the district’s next superintendent is that the individual be a leader who will be highly involved in the community, can be easily approached to talk with and will be a strong presence at school sites.

“These things have been missing in the last few years…is what we have been told,” Mensinger said.

He added, “They really want somebody who is outgoing, very smart and not afraid to have other very smart people around.”

The position, which will become vacant after Harrigan’s last day on June 16, is now posted on Leadership Associates’ website.

’s contract with Leadership Associates has a total potential cost of $21,500, according to a copy of the contract read by Patch.

The district has already agreed to pay the firm $7,500 for services that include updating the job description, identifying and reference checking of three to five candidates for interview by the board and assisting the board with those interviews.

According to the agreement, which was approved at the board’s Tuesday meeting, the $7,500 will be credited toward the $21,500 cost to have Leadership Associates conduct a full search, if the school board decides a full search is necessary.

If the board were to conduct a full search, an interim superintendent could be hired on a per diem, or per day, basis.

Board members last discussed the superintendent position at its May 17 meeting on how to proceed with the process.

That discussion came 11 days after four board members interviewed potential candidates during a special meeting on May 6 at a board member's home.

At that meeting, parents and employees .

Mensinger has said that the May 6 meeting came together quickly after candidates whom he described as "very qualified" approached the district with interest. Board members responded to public concerns by  inviting community members to speak and encouraging them to provide feedback by various means.

The board is also expected to meet for a regular meeting on Tuesday, June 14. The agenda is yet to be released for that meeting.