School Board Divided on Superintendent Search Process

At a time when the top priority for most school districts is closing budget deficits, Newark Unified School District has even more on its to-do list: Finding its next superintendent.

But selecting the ideal person for the position is just one piece of the puzzle. The board has yet to determine how it will proceed with the process of hiring the district's new top chief.

At its Tuesday meeting, the board weighed two options: Appointing a candidate or going forward with a full search.

A full search could take at least two months, board members said.

That process could include hiring of a search firm to gather more community input as well as solicit and hire a candidate for the superintendent position.

Taking that route could cost between $25,000 and $30,000, board members said.

"It's not cheap. It's pretty costly to have a full superintendent search," said Ray Rodriguez, board vice president.

The benefit of having a full search by an outside firm is that all steps in the hiring process, from recruiting to negotiating a contract, are managed by that entity, board members said.

The board last went through a full search for a superintendent in 2008. Before making a decision then, the board considered internal candidates, including current Superintendent Kevin Harrigan. The board then widened the search with the help of consultant firm Leadership Associates.

Board member Jan Crocker said a firm's assistance when dealing with negotiations of a superintendent's contract is "very helpful."

If the board were to conduct a full search, an interim superintendent could be hired on a per diem, or per day, basis. Harrigan's resignation becomes effective on June 30.

Appointing a candidate would be a much quicker process and could allow the district to establish direction immediately.

The board has already talked with some potential candidates during a special meeting on May 6 at a board member's home. Board President Charlie Mensinger has said that the May 6 meeting came together quickly after candidates whom he described as "very qualified" approached the district with interest.

At that meeting, parents and employees .

The five-member board seemed to be divided on how to go forward during the discussion about the hiring process at its Tuesday night meeting.

Finding the best candidate is important, said board member Janice Schaefer. She added she would like to feel like the process is an open one.

Board member Nancy Thomas noted the process should be "deliberate and careful" and that two months to fill the position may not be an achievable goal.

"We're in a state of uncertainty. A lot of key positions need to be filled soon and we need a superintendent's help to fill positions," said Thomas, noting the upcoming resignation of a variety of district and school officials, including Chief Business Official Steven Shields.

Crocker added that the district should consider seeking an interim superintendent.

"We need to pick the very best out there. I'm not sure they're out there right now," Crocker said.

On the other end of the spectrum, Rodriguez said it seems the community may want the district to save money in the process of hiring a new superintendent and that appointing someone quickly could be beneficial. 

"We're in desperate times nowadays, and we need leadership, someone who is committed. I have no problem moving quickly," Rodriguez said.

Mensinger added he'd like to revisit and consider current applicants.

"I like to mitigate risks," he said. "I don't want to have something potentially string out… and leave district in a bad situation."

The discussion of the search process came after an earlier meeting Tuesday afternoon in which the board invited community members to speak about the qualities they want in a superintendent.

Only three people came, a much different picture than the in which 50 people crowded the board room to ask for a leader who lives in the area and develops relationships with all constituents.

The board did no reach a decision was made on how the search will proceed. A timeline for filling the position will likely be determined once a search process is established.

The board continues to seek input from the community and encourages the public to participate in its anonymous survey through SurveyMonkey, a provider of web-based surveys. A link to that survey will be posted today and Newark Patch will update this report once it is made available.

Linda Park contributed to this report.