Firm sets schedule for superintendent search

By FRANCISCO E. JIMENEZ
Special to the NEWS

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The San Benito CISD Board of Trustees held a workshop on Thursday, July 17, in which they discussed the search process for a new superintendent of schools with Waterford School Services Inc., which will be conducting the search.

“The workshop’s intent was to get a perspective from every trustee and an opinion on what they’re looking for in the qualities in a new superintendent,” said SBCISD Board President Arnold Padilla. “This afforded us an opportunity to discuss those thoughts and ideas. It also gave us an opportunity to set a schedule for the next couple of months.”

The schedule will include everything from public input and participation to government entities that the Board may want to question.

“It is an opportunity to reach out globally, in essence, to the entire community and try to get everybody’s ideas, input, interests and concerns of what they’d like to see in a new superintendent,” said Padilla.

In attendance for the workshop were Dr. Jess Butler and former SBCISD Superintendent Dr. Felipe Alanis, representing Waterford.

“The workshop was called to set the calendar for the search and to discuss the qualities and qualifications of the superintendent that the Board is looking for, to discuss the recruitment process, the background reviews, to discuss ways we can involve the community and to make certain that they’re aware of the search and to invite the community to share with the board those qualities they think are most important that will help guide the search,” said Butler, who further noted that the firm anticipates having an open and transparent search for the new superintendent. Butler added that the Austin-based firm intends to place advertisements in national publications.

One of the main staples of the discussion held on Thursday was emphasis on the community’s involvement in the search.

“I think it’s really healthy for the community to be involved and put their input about who they’d like to see,” said Alanis. “We’re committed to being as inclusive as possible, visiting with many factors of the community and stakeholders so that it can be a successful process in the end.”

One way the firm and the Board of Trustees plan to get the community involved is by utilizing a survey, which will soon be available on the district’s website. The Board also provided the firm with a list of approximately eight community leaders so that the firm can meet with each individual and discuss what they would like to see in the new superintendent.

According to the firm, the deadline to apply for the superintendent post will be on Oct. 7. Dates will also be set for interviews as well as a date for the community to visit with the finalists.

“The idea is that the new superintendent, he or she, will begin work in January of 2015,” Butler said.

Also on the agenda for the workshop was a presentation and discussion on the district insurance plan. The presentation was prepared and presented by Lorenzo Sanchez, MCA, CPA.

“For the Board, they wanted to know what exactly what is the status of the self-funded program,” said Sanchez after the workshop. “Can they afford to continue and be self-funded, or should they go out and have a fully-insured company come in? It is a good program and a very good plan that is very oriented towards the employees, but they needed to know what is the bottom line. They needed to fully understand how all of the pieces work together. That was my objective.”

“There is always a concern about insurance and insurance costs… Can the district sustain what it’s doing? Those types of concerns were brought to me months back,” explained Padilla. “At the June 10 meeting, I asked for there to be a financial analysis. That way, we could get a true picture of just where we are in our financial commitment to health services for our district employees.

“Not that we believe that what we are providing is something that we shouldn’t, Padilla added on Thursday. “It’s more of the perspective of is it something that we can continue to afford in the form that we currently have, and do we need to adjust for it? Tonight’s effort was to really bring it down to a simple format where everybody could see the true picture of what the district spends on a monthly basis.”

 

Permanent link to this article: https://www.sbnewspaper.com/2014/07/18/firm-sets-schedule-for-superintendent-search/

4 comments

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    • Alvarez on July 22, 2014 at 10:25 pm
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    “Worse scores in history”???? Your words, not mine. If any scores look good, they may be the 2013-2014 scores, and it will only be because the current SR board was on his butt all year long. He’s a nice guy, but that’s it. If the board hires him, we will know who exactly runs this board, and it will be none other than Mr. Joe D. Gonzalez. A lot of damn spending on a firm and for what? They already have who they want. Sad!

    • Old maintenance worker on July 22, 2014 at 2:35 pm
    • Reply

    TEA will show Mr Villarreal had good scores at Santa Rosa, it will also show that San Benito scores were equal to the majority of region 1 schools. Region 1 has 38 districts and only 14 of those districts had better scores than San Benito. People need to get their facts correct instead of making them up . ” worse scores in history ” nice try.

    A bit of history, Miguel. De Los Santos, Hector Ybarra, Ruben Rodriguez, Felipe Alanis, Manuel Gomez, All stayed just a few years. Like Or dislike Joe D or Limon they have brought stability to this district for 20 years and in process managed to graduate thousands of very successful students and improve the facilities tremendously without having lay offs or missing any pay periods for employees. I am sure that given the opportunity Mr
    Villarreal could bring stability for another 10.

    • Alvarez on July 22, 2014 at 5:07 am
    • Reply

    There’s that name again…VILLARREAL! I don’t know where you get your information, but I’m sure TEA will show a whole lotta nothing to see from this man’s time in Santa Rosa. With all due respect, We don’t need another “hometown” compadre or a puppet. We know who this man runs with, & if we are tired of consultants such as LORENZO SANCHEZ being hired, we don’t need someone like VILLARREAL as the next Superintendent.

    • Searaven on July 19, 2014 at 9:59 am
    • Reply

    After enduring the worst academic grades in the history of San Benito the last ten years under “the Lemon” the district is spending money on a firm to search for the new Supt. One of our own (Dr. Cavazos) is Supt next door and one of our own (Eddie Villarreal) is doing a fantastic job in Santa Rosa gaining experience and improving his knowledge of the job of supt. Mr. Villarreal, a San Benito native, was here when the Academic scores were at the highest they have ever been. In my opinion, he knows the district, the students and the parents. He would be an excellent candidate who could hit the ground running and do a great job. However, the current board wants a puppet, not an educator.

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