CCSD may delay superintendent search until after election

Hazard Young Attea and Associates recommended the board wait until March 27 to hire a superintendent, delaying the process — with a current Oct. 30 selection date — by months, according to the agenda for the board meeting on Thursday.

Former superintendent Jesus Jara resigned in February, meaning that if the board accepts HYA’s recommendation, the country’s fifth-largest school district will be without a superintendent for over a year.

HYA said that many candidates have expressed a concern about the instability of the board, especially given that at least three, if not four, trustees will be replaced in an election just a week after the current superintendent selection date.

“Candidates are ‘interviewing’ the Board as much as the trustees are interviewing the candidates,” HYA wrote.

The firm listed community voice and representation as a primary concern. The resignation of Katie Williams, who was found by the district attorney not to be living in Nevada, has left District B without a voting representative. Many trustees and community members expressed concern about this lack of representation, as well as the potential for a tie vote, during the Sept. 12 board meeting, and urged consideration for delaying the search.

Trustee Isaac Barron asked whether there could be a potential contingency plan, given that an entire community had been disenfranchised.

“We have an unusual situation right now,” Trustee Linda Cavazos said. “We want to make sure that our entire district is represented, not just six districts.”

Shawn Joseph, a representative from the firm hired to conduct the superintendent search, agreed it would be best practice to have all of the districts represented.

Meanwhile, Lola Brooks, one of the trustees who regularly voted alongside Williams, warned about deterring possible superintendent candidates if they slowed down the process. Joseph agreed, saying many applicants had known the current timeline.

The board has since posted its timeline for filling Williams’ vacancy, with a selection by Oct. 30, the same day the superintendent is currently set to be chosen.

HYA said many candidates were concerned that at least three, if not four, new trustees will be elected in November and therefore would not have been involved in the search. The decision to choose a new superintendent prior to elections has faced pushback at prior board meetings.

The firm provided the board with three timelines, with selection dates in February, March or April. It said that the longer timelines are the most advantageous for the board to train properly, while the shorter ones are best for candidate recruitment.

Joseph told the board during its last meeting that many candidates have already applied for the position and that changing the deadline could hurt recruitment.

The firm recommended the second option, which has a hiring date of March 27. The option includes “an investment and commitment to Board governance training provided by HYA.”

HYA did not specify the meaning or cost of these trainings, nor did it mention how changing the timeline would affect general costs.

The board will discuss the option in its Thursday meeting. It can keep the current timeline or accept one of the three timelines provided by HYA.

Contact Katie Futterman at kfutterman@reviewjournal.com.