District launches webpage for interim superintendent search
Initiative intended to include public in the process
After a unanimous vote by the School Board of Lee County, the interim superintendent webpage went live Wednesday as a means to include the community in the search to replace Dr. Greg Adkins.
Adkins is retiring.
“It was an idea as a way to include the community. To take you along with us on this journey and allow you the opportunity to give some input as well,” said Board member Gwyn Gittens, who took on the job of creating the website with the communications department, Tuesday night.
The interim superintendent search webpage, which can be found at www.leeschools.net, will include information on the search process, how to get involved and information about the position.
The “how to get involved” portion of the webpage, includes links to watch the board meeting, view the agenda, email the board members and keep track of dates on personal calendars. Gittens said another key part of this section is letting the community know which meetings include public comment, as it has “PC” next to the calendar item.
There is also a section “comments for board members,” which initially received some pushback from board members.
“I personally think we should not respond individually to members of the public on comments made by the search,” Board member Cathleen O’Daniel Morgan said.
Gittens said once the public submits their comments they will receive a message thanking them. It will also state that their message will be shared with each board member and they may receive individual thoughts from them back.
Those comments will be send to each board member’s individual mailboxes with a subject line of “interim superintendent.”
“This page is a precursor to when we start with the full superintendent search, so you can follow along,” Gittens said.
Actions include the timeline and process of hiring the interim superintendent, hiring Scott Kashman as the consultant, and his scope of work.
The board approved the timeline and process of hiring an interim superintendent 4-3. Board members Melisa Giovannelli, Gittens and Betsy Vaughn opposed.
The timeline included advertisement placed on Friday, May 7, and all applications to be received by May 21. The board will choose which candidates to interview on May 24, followed by individual interviews between May 25 to June 4. Group interviews will be conducted in the morning of June 7 with choosing the interim candidate on June 8. The interim superintendent will be appointed during the June 8 action meeting.
The board also decided that the candidates interested in the position must submit an electronic copy of their resume and cover letter by Friday, May 21, at 9 a.m. All of the resumes and cover letters will be compiled into a PDF file and sent to each board member for their review.
The board unanimously agree the advertisement budget will not exceed $3,000.
Although the idea of hiring a consultant received some pushback from a few board members who said it would just prolong the process, the board agreed 5-2 to hire Scott Kashman of Healthy Team, Healthy Business, LLC, with board members Giovannelli and Gittens against the motion.
“An interim doesn’t need all these processes,” Giovannelli said. “Is this the smartest approach? I don’t think this is the process we need to drag out for the sake of our employees. We should be devoting time and energy for the national search. Drawing out this process is going to be detrimental to the district and getting someone in place to work with Dr. Adkins now sooner than later.”
She went on to say that hiring a consultant makes the board look incompetent, as they have been provided with training by the FSBA of what they should be doing, which includes hiring a superintendent.
Gittens voiced a strong concern about hiring a consultant.
“I feel forced into this process that I do not agree with,” she said. “Since I am forced to make a decision, I do not want to lose my total vote.”
Vaughn said they do not need a consultant, but rather a facilitator.
“I think if we want to have a completely objective person helping us, (then) what we need is a facilitator. Frankly I think all of us know what we are looking for and you can bet the farm that is going to be very different, at least significant variations. This board is going to be split and is going to continue to be split,” she said.
Board member Chris Patricca said an outside person will put those guard rails in place and move them forward in a discussion and decision process, as the board has demonstrated they cannot show the ability as a team to stay on task.
The board also voted on the agreement with Kashman as a consultant to the school board in facilitating the interim superintendent hiring process effective May 12 through June 30 for a cost not to exceed $5,000 during Tuesday night’s board meeting. The vote was 5-2, with Giovannelli and Gittens opposing.
“It is very clear at this point he is facilitating the interim superintendent hiring process. He will help to facilitate the discussion to assist the board,” Board Attorney Kathy Dupuy-Bruno said.
Giovannelli said she was against spending $5,000 for someone to speak for the board because it seems ludicrous. She said it shows how dysfunctional the board is.
“He thinks he is going to maneuver us along and I don’t think that is going to happen,” she said. “We are not going to have a say. It’s always driven by someone else’s agenda. Not the board’s agenda.”
The board also agreed that the estimated hours per month is 10 to 20 with a fee of $200 an hour and a cap of $2,500 a month.
The scope of work for Kashman includes facilitating review of interview questions, review of interview rubric, candidate interview process and working with district staff, as needed, to facilitate the hiring process. Kashman also needed to be available for the May 14, May 24, June 14 and June 21 meetings.
To reach MEGHAN BRADBURY, please email news@breezenewspapers.com